Everything About You
by le.etoile
Summary: Don't let my facade fool you. My life is tougher than you think! Hali Challenge Story #1, complete!
1. Chapter 1

_Yet another new story. XD I'll edit this later, because I want to just get this up now, so please keep in mind this is raw/unedited chapter. I'm just too tired to fix anything now. Enjoy though!

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Brown eyes hovered over the mass of people. Er, make that dead people. Shinigami, vizards, humans, they were all there. _One too many though_, he thought, eyebrows knitting themselves together tightly. Why he came here in the first place, he had no idea. Hell, he didn't even know why he was there! He wasn't sure if it was it was because the Winter War was over, because Yoruichi was surprisingly pregnant (which Ichigo didn't find shocking, as those two were always… friendly, in the weirdest ways), or if it was just a random party, thrown for the heck of it.

Groaning again, Ichigo wanted to slam his head against a wall of some sorts as he wondered why, oh _why_ did he come here?? It was like hell had broken loose in Urahara's lower training grounds.

"Kurosaki-kun!!" A small voice called out to him, breaking him from his shallow angst. He turned around and saw a small redhead attempting to throw herself through the throng of people. He cocked an eyebrow as she held two glasses above her head with a clear liquid. She most likely did that to keep the contents in the glasses, and not accidentally on her.

Noticing her current struggle to get through, he easily grabbed at her elbow and helped her get through the crowd. A quick blush spread through her face and she bit her bottom lip in embarrassment. He led her to a less crowded, and oddly a bit darker corner of the large room. Sighing in relief, Orihime dropped her arms down along with the glasses, her appendages sore from holding them up so long.

"T-Thank you, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime stuttered, slightly nervous. He only nodded in return before leaning against the cool wall in a smooth and quick manner. Though he stopped halfway, wondering why the hell he was trying to act all suave in front of _Inoue_. He tried to beat his hollow's thoughts out of his head. "Here! For you!" The healer suddenly chirped before suddenly shoving the small plastic glass into his hands.

"Thanks…" Ichigo replied tonelessly, looking at the drink as if it was the most bizarre thing he'd ever seen. Orihime took a sip from her own glass before leaning against the wall the same as he did. She had a satisfied smile on her face while she watched the partying people.

"I should be thanking you, Kurosaki-kun," she replied, her voice laced with a hint of hesitation. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, watching her fiddle around with her plastic cup accompanied by a downcast gaze. "Though I'm sorry you got so hurt… I always put you in a bad position and it's-"

"Inoue."

"E-Eh?"

"We can talk about this later," he told her reassuringly, looping his thumb through a belt loop on his pants. Orihime looked to him with a surprised expression and big, gray eyes. Though instead of looking just from the corner of his eye, he turned his head towards her, facing her straight on. "But for now, let's just have enjoy ourselves, okay?"

Orihime kept her lips slightly parted in a cute pout, before turning beet red and nodding her head quickly. He tried to hold back a grin at how silly she looked, but he eventually managed to let a chuckle slip. _So much for my tough image…_ He brooded. Soon the healer brought her cup higher into the air with a happy smile plastered on her face.

"A toast!" She exclaimed, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink color. Truthfully, he was a little startled from her sudden yelling, but quickly composed himself after her little outburst.

"For what?"

"For what- Oh… hm… How about…"

"Nakama?"

She stopped her thinking and looked at him, again, surprised at his quite intelligent toast. Her smile quickly returned with twice as much fervor and she knocked her glass with his. "To nakama."

The two both took a gulp of their drinks, Orihime still okay with her own, but Ichigo's face started turning awfully red, soon coughing as soon as he managed to swallow. Fear and worried filled Orihime's eyes as she looked at her companion.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you okay??" She asked quickly, honestly fretting over her long-time crush.

"I'm fine, it's just… W-What is this stuff?"

"Oh… Uh…" Orihime glanced down to her own drink before cocking her head to the side and raising her eyebrows in confusion. "I'm actually not sure. Rangiku-san gave it to me, saying it was a specialty's of Urahara-san."

_Great… It's more than likely alcohol._

"And you're not feeling weird at all, Inoue?" He questioned, noticing her state of normalcy. She only shook her head and took another sip.

"I actually feel great," she muttered, bringing her small hand up to brush away a stray hair. "In fact, I really like this stuff. It's so sweet and the funny feeling in my stomach kind of tickles."

_Tickles…? What?_

Though now that she mentioned it, his stomach felt sort of off too. Maybe it was from the alcohol the two, both minors he would add, were currently consuming. He gave the innocent drink a hard stare, wondering just how okay it was to drink this.

_**It's only once, King. Quit being an ass and drink that shit.**_

_Shut up, I don't need you to tell me what to do! Besides, I was planning on it anyways._

And with his short-lived argument with his hollow, he took another gulp, still unable to get used to the burning sensation in the back of his throat after he took another sip. The two both leaned against the wall, staying far away from the rest of the group. After all, it was darker and quieter. Just the right surroundings for the oncoming headache he could feel rapidly approaching.

Ichigo quickly extended his arm and checked his watch. With a frown, he decided it would be best to go home. Everyone else still appeared to be busy and having fun, so it would just be best to duck out unnoticed.

"Hey Inoue, I think I'm going to-" He started to talk to her, facing the small girl, only to find her struggling to keep her eyes open. "go…" Her eyes quickly snapped open.

"E-Eh? Leaving already?" She questioned, trying to hide the fact she almost fell asleep standing up. He nodded.

"Yeah, it's getting late, and by the looks of it, you could tend to get home too," he responded casually, prodding her with a light joke at her teetering on the edge of sleep and awake. She flushed again and sighed, putting down the drink at the nearby table.

"I should… We do have school tomorrow…" Orihime responded, knowing she would be unable to hide her fatigue. With a yawn, she peeked open an eye at the nearby shinigami substitute. "I guess I'll see you then, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's so late already, it isn't safe for you to walk home alone," he quickly assessed her form as he spoke. "On top of you being that tired and not alert. So I'm walking you home." Orihime opened her mouth to protest, but he shot a gentle warning glare towards her, immediately causing her to shut her mouth and blush once more. With a hesitant nod and a last glance at the partygoers, the two teens head out into the dead of night.

--

They were about halfway to Orihime's flat when she started to sneeze sporadically. Sneeze after sneeze into the dead of night still managed to startle him every time, and eventually, he shrugged off his jacket and offered it to her.

"O-Oh no, I can't possibly take that jacket-" _Sneeze._ "-away from you, Kurosaki-kun!" She protested, only her returning sneezes giving him more reason to loan it to her. With another warning glare, Orihime was stuck and much to her dismay, and secretly pleasure, she accepted his offering and put on the large coat over her small frame.

"Sorry, um… It's kind of big…" He apologized as they resumed walking. Orihime shook her head and brought the ends of the sleeves to her nose, inconspicuously taking in his scent.

"Oh no, it's very warm. Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" Ichigo couldn't help but turn a bit red at her polite thanks over a mere jacket. _It's just like her, though…_ It wasn't long after that until they got to her apartment. Ichigo watched her go up the stairs, as if it was forbidden for him to do the same. She gave him a small smile and waved him silently goodbye, and he awkwardly raised his hand to motion to her the same. He began to leave and Orihime was about to close her door when she realized, _I still have his jacket!_

She rushed outside with some hope he'd still be there or at least somewhere close, but it was to no avail. He was already on his way home, as expected, so she would just have to settle for giving it to him tomorrow. Letting a smile grace her tired face, Orihime turned back around and went inside, locking the door behind her. _Till tomorrow, Kurosaki-kun…_

--

The first thing she thought was how she'd have to find Rangiku-san and ask her what that drink was, because it made her feel awfully funny as she woke up. Orihime let her eyes flutter open and she took in a shuddering breath, a large headache apparent in her skull. _Ooooh, this hurts so much._ She sat up slowly as she decided she'd need to get some pain relievers for her head after getting dressed.

Orihime kneaded the back of her neck awkwardly as she tried to wake up, only to find all her long, precious, auburn hair had disappeared! Her eyes snapped open and she threw both hands to her head, finding only short, very bright orange locks instead. But then she noticed how built her arms were as she was prodding with her suddenly changed hair. Removing her hands from her head and bringing them down to her face, Orihime looked at her palms and digits in alarm, seeing that they were large and… large! What happened to her small, smooth hands! These were bigger and definitely more defined! Almost like…

Her eyes growing wider, she snapped her head around the room at an awfully quick speed, realizing she was not where she shouldn't been.

Kurosaki-kun's room.

But would that mean she's no longer a…

Biting the bottom lip, Orihime glanced down, only to find in horror, her always-apparent chest was gone. What had happened to her breasts?? Surely the little blue men hadn't taken them! She glanced around the room frantically once more, looking for a mirror of some sorts. With finally a little luck kicking in, she noticed a mirror on the nightstand just next to the bed. After much stumbling and tripping, she managed to grab a hold of the small object, and was almost afraid to look into the darned thing.

And she saw him. Kurosaki-kun was staring right back at her.

And a low, terrified yell rang through the house.

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	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the reviews~ Enjoy this next chapter~_

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With a thud prompting one to assume she fell to the floor, Orihime groaned wearily. How had she gotten to look like Kurosaki-kun?? Was she in his body or something? _Probably the little blue men again…_ She concluded, lifting up a hand to look at again. It was something to see him from afar, but to _be_ him was an entirely different story.

Just the thought of being in his body sent a blush to her face… Orihime awkwardly, as if she'd get in trouble, took an index finger and poked at his belly, noting the tense feeling of perfectly shaped muscles under the shirt. Shyly, she let her hand rove over his sculpted abdomen, very intrigued.

A knock on the door startled the girl, making her realize further just what she was doing. Yanking her finger away from his stomach as if it was on fire, she swallowed before speaking.

"Y-Yes?" She called out, actually quite startled at how low his voice was. It was so much different than hers! She swallowed hard, thinking of just how she'd have to get used to it.

A small, light-brown haired girl opened the door and poked her head in, a smile apparent on her face.

"Good morning Onii-chan! Breakfast is on the table!" She chirped, a ladle in her right hand. Though her expression quickly fell and she cocked her head to the side. "Onii-chan, why are you on the floor?"

Orihime tensed up in her spot, unsure of how to answer the girl's question. Actually, first she needed to figure out her name first! But for now, she just forced a shrug.

"I… tripped," she shortly explained, really thinking she'd never be able to get used to her 'new voice'. The girl nodded and smiled again.

"You're so silly! Anyways, get dressed for school quick and come get your breakfast!" And with the girl's final words, she left. On top of Orihime's luck, she had just remembered the girl's name as soon as she left. _Yuzu-chan, and the other is Karin-chan…_ Sighing, she forced the tall, lanky body to stand up, very unaccustomed to the new weight. Maybe she could pull this off, being Kurosaki-kun, that is. She'd need more practice, of course, and it could be tiring, but… It could be fun too… Maybe.

Before letting herself crack a grin, she stopped and froze. _Get… dressed…_ Her face started to sport a new, bright red as she thought of how she'd have to see Kurosaki-kun's body. Her face threatened to grow even hotter as she thought of specific parts. How in the world would she be able to use the bathroom??

The healer groaned and let her shoulders fall, deciding she'd figure it out when the time came. But for now, she needed to find clothes she could change into, keeping in mind she'd close her eyes while changing. Surely Kurosaki-kun would not be happy if she saw things she wasn't supposed to see.

After she'd change, she'd run to her apartment, with some hope that maybe, _maybe_ Kurosaki-kun would be there.

--

If Rukia was sitting on him again, he wouldn't be afraid to punch her. Because this time around, it certainly didn't feel like Kon sitting on him again. _I'm probably late for school, and this is their morbid way of waking me up,_ he thought, not wanting to crack open a eye.

Lazily, Ichigo threw his hand to his eye, rubbing at it tiredly. He really didn't want to go to school.

"Rukia, get your damn ass off my chest," Ichigo spoke to the constant weight, at first, very unaware of just how high his voice was. He continued to rub at his eyes, level of irritation growing higher every second at how the small shinigami refused to budge.

"Rukia, get-" he started to yell, opening his eyes quickly and sitting up. Only to find the weight stayed with him, and even caused him to fall forward further. "What the fuck…?" He swore, looking down at the things causing him to topple over. He scowled, adding Rukia to his list of people to chew out. Stupid girl had played a prank on him and put water balloons into his shirt. He put his hands to the awkward weight, holding them firmly in his hands from the bottom. _But damn… I wonder where she got such big water balloons… These things are fucking heavy!_

Ichigo grabbed the collar of the shirt and looked down further, a crack resonating through his head, most likely the sound of his brain breaking.

It wasn't water balloons. It was…

He snapped the collar back, face flushing instantaneously. He had just touched b-b-b-b…!!! He whipped his head around the room to take in his surroundings, noticing dark orange hair following him wherever he went. His stomach dropped for a moment, wondering if he turned into a hollow again, shuddering at the thought of turning into that beast again. Could that be the reason behind his new long hair? But what was with the heavy… uh, _things_ on his chest? They obviously weren't his!

Taking a fistful of the hair, he noted it was definitely too dark compared to his own, but it was still familiar somehow. _Where have I…?_

Unable to take in his surroundings, Ichigo soon stood up, almost toppling over from his new, awkward weight on his front side. His cheeks flushed again, trying to keep his brain from thinking bad things.

**_Holy shit, you have a rack! Just look at the-_**

_Shut up! I do not have b-b-b-b- fuck this!!_

_**Tch… Such a pansy. You're not even able to say it.**_

Ichigo tried to ignore his hollow as he stumbled to find a bathroom, desperately wanting to find a mirror.

With luck finally kicking in, Ichigo found the bathroom, awkwardly noticing all the girly products in there. Flicking on the light, he closed the door behind him, and eyes grew wide at whom he saw.

_Inoue._

With a girly yelp and a jump into the air, Ichigo watched the person in the mirror do the same exact thing, dark auburn hair following him yet again.

How was he Inoue?? No, wait, surely this was a terrible, terrible nightmare… Or would it just be a pleasant dream? _Wait, wait, wait. HELL no, I definitely do not want to dream about being Inoue!! Or… Fuck, do I?_

Which prompted him to pinch his… her arm, whatever, further noting it very much hurt and he was not waking up in any way.

He took in a sharp breath before further assessing himself. It was just so fucking _weird_ to be looking at Inoue, but being Inoue as well.

He saw an unfamiliar facial expression on her image, brows furrowed together with sharp eyes, and an unyielding scowl. Quite honestly, this new look was a little creepy, but he stopped, remembering this was _his_ usual look. Clearly it wouldn't look good on her.

Letting his face relax, he started to see the familiar face a curious Inoue, looking a tad baffled. Big gray eyes bore into him; long lashes occasionally fluttering closed in order to blink. Bringing his gaze down a bit further, he stared at her lips, so weirdly… ample. His cheeks grew hotter as he assessed the rest, wanting to very much ignore the obvious thing stuck onto his chest, but accidentally letting his stare linger there the longest. _Fuck…_

Too much of her legs were exposed, he concluded, as she only wore a large white T-shirt that stopped just below the hips. Surely this experience would be the death of him…

Boldly, he lifted his hands, his new, so-much-smaller hands and put them on his waist, flinching at the fact she had curves. She was so _girly_. Breasts, legs, hips, tiny waist…

_W-when the hell did Inoue get a body like this??_

He was definitely messed up.

Here he was letting himself feel Inoue up, just because he looked like her. Or maybe… _Maybe I _am_ her…_

A groan of frustration escaped him as somewhat reluctantly took his hands off her sides and placed them on the sides of the counter. He had to get to the bottom of this… But first, he had to find Inoue.

Glancing at the clock, he realized the time. Inoue was one to show up early for school, so surely she'd be there already! He'd need to hurry in order to get to school and meet up with her. Then they could figure this out.

With another stroke of luck, her girly school-uniform was already sitting upon the counter, accompanied with the rest of her… Necessities… His face grew dangerously hot as he thought of how he'd have to deal with _those_, let alone how to put _that_ on.

Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and fumbled with the clothes. This was Inoue, and he wouldn't do or see anything she wouldn't want him to see. Yes, he was still a healthy young male, but he wasn't a jerk. He'd respect people's privacy, even if he was in their body.

--

He sat at his desk, dangerously hunched over in his chair. Luckily, he managed to get dressed somewhat properly without having to see anything. But on the negative side, she wasn't here yet, like he guessed she would. So he was stuck sitting there at his desk, waiting for her to show up.

Tatsuki started to approach him, a very baffled expression etched onto her face.

"Er, are you feeling okay, Orihime? You're dressed awfully weird." She asked, her arms folded across her chest. Ichigo opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut, unsure of what to say, and only nodded. "Seriously, I think this is a first. First, you don't have your hairpins on, second, you aren't wearing your bow, then you have the first three or four buttons undone on your shirt," Tatsuki finished.

Ichigo wanted to groan again. He didn't even think about her hairpins, to be honest. (Not like he'd know how to put them on anyways.) As for the bow and shirt, he honestly tried to put them on, but he couldn't breathe at _all _after he did. Because of those frightfully large things attached to his front and the tightness of the school shirt, it was awfully hard to breathe period. Vaguely, he wondered how Inoue could stand to wear it all the time.

A smirk soon graced the teen's face. "And I notice you're being quite bold today. Sitting in Ichigo's spot? Don't you think he'd get a bit flustered over that?"

He rose an eyebrow. _Why would I get flustered? This is __**my**__ seat! _But then he realized he was still Inoue, and Inoue was sitting in "Ichigo's" seat.

"Shit…" He let slip, still unaccustomed to her high voice. Though, oddly enough, it sounded kind of… interesting, to hear "Inoue" swear a bit. Closing his eyes tightly, he inwardly swore at himself for letting such a word slip. Tatsuki's eyes widened in shock.

"You're really off today, aren't you?"

Awkwardly, Ichigo shrugged and nodded again, remaining quiet. Quickly, the two heard a door slam open and both brought their eyes to the person opening the door. Upon seeing very familiar, bright hair, Ichigo felt his stomach both drop in relief and despair. _Finally!_

Orihime stood at the door, biting her bottom lip nervously as she hesitantly looked over the classroom. She eventually saw her own body and she could see a familiar, stern look in the eyes that originally belonged to her. From a look alone, she could tell Kurosaki-kun was most likely in her body.

Throwing his hands onto the desk, he rose out of the seat and rushed to her side, uncaring of just how weirdly open the skirt was as he walked. He grabbed "his" arm and pulled the girl inhabiting his body towards the roof staircase. The two remained in silence as they walked, unnoticing of just how weird it was for others to see Inoue Orihime dragging Kurosaki Ichigo god knows where.

Eventually the two made it to the roof, and luckily, no one was there. Ichigo let go of the arm and turned around to face his body with her in it, a stern look on his face. Orihime looked at the ground, feeling ashamed as if this was all her fault.

"You're Inoue, right?" Ichigo asked, bunching up his now tiny hands into tinier fists. Orihime looked back up to her body and nodded.

"U-um, yes…" she replied hesitantly as looked at her own body, flushing slightly. He appeared to dress her so slovenly! Ah, and her hairpins were missing too!

The two remained silent for a while, quite unable to say anything, as they couldn't think of what should be said. Ichigo looked at his own body, noting how she actually did a pretty good job of still managing to look as himself. A red T-shirt was under his school shirt, with most of the buttons undone, and a black sweatband adorned his wrist. Unlike himself, she actually managed to keep her visual appearance appropriate. Him, on the other hand, made no attempt to look like her. Even Tatsuki pointed it out!

"Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry," Orihime broke the silence, snapping Ichigo out of his thoughts. He went to cross his arms and retort to her, but the familiar weight called breasts on his chest caused him to flush and decide to keep his hands at his side.

"What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault."

"O-Oh, I, um…" She stopped, fidgeting in her spot. "Still… sorry…" she apologized once more, a downcast gaze towards the floor. He sighed heavily and put his hands on his hips, before remembering whose hips they were. His face grew red and he quickly pulled them off as if they were on fire.

"Don't be. We'll figure this out," he told her, not just reassuring her, but reassuring himself. "But we need to think about what caused this. Can you think of anything you did that could've caused this?" Orihime folded her own arms, finding quite a relief not having to worry about her large chest. A pout formed onto "his" face, causing Ichigo to knit his brows together. A pout on his face _definitely_ did not suit him.

"Besides going to the party, I didn't do anything out of the normal… Aside from being in Hueco Mundo shortly before that though," she threw the idea out, starting to feel very weird the more she thought about how she was in his body. "What about you, Kurosaki-kun?"

He stopped to think, recollecting his own thoughts. Soon, he shook his head. "Same. The party was out of my norm."

Silence fell between the two before they both automatically had the same thought, big eyes on each of their faces.

"The drinks!" The said unanimously before Orihime let her shoulders slack.

"Oh no, this is all my fault!!" She whispered loudly, her tone of voice very worried and ashamed. "If I hadn't given you that drink, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Ichigo, now throwing all previous thoughts and morals out the window, placed a hand on "his" own shoulder. They had already gotten this far into this current mess; it was probably impossible for it to get any worse.

"It'll be okay, Inoue," he tried to reassure her. This was the girl who went to Hueco Mundo to protect him and their other friends. This time, he'd be the one to protect her, despite their predicament. "We'll go to Urahara-san's shop after school to get this dealt with, but for now, we need to go back to class." She nodded as she tried to keep stinging tears at bay. She was a boy now, and boys don't cry!

"What about the others? Won't they suspect something's wrong?" Orihime questioned, running a hand stressfully through her now short hair, before stopping again and removing it. This wasn't her body; she wasn't allowed to touch.

"Maybe, but probably not if we try to keep the same. You'll just have to act like me, and vise versa." Orihime crossed her arms and scowled, accompanied with tight eyebrows.

"Like this?" She asked, actually surprising him with how good she was at this. Had she practiced as him or something? He nodded in acceptance. "Though…" she stopped, causing him to turn his head in confusion. "Do I need to say bad words too?"

"…Bad words?"

"Oh, um… D-Do you want me to swear too?"

"Oh, uh… Just do what you're comfortable with, okay?"

She flushed a bit and nodded. Ichigo felt his face get hot as well as he thought how weird it looked for his body to blush like that. "Anyways…" He coughed, clearing his throat. "How do I act like you?"

"Huh? Oh! Just be happy!"

His face fell and wanted to sigh. _Be happy…_ Oh yes, like that wouldn't be hard for him. But would it really kill him to smile once in a while? Slowly and hesitantly, he let himself smile, ignoring the awkward look it had to it.

"That looks good!" Orihime complimented, clapping her large hands together. "Oh, but since my hairpins aren't in, my hair will probably bug you a bit. You'll probably need to keep putting my hair behind your ears, like this," she explained, then proceeded to put a hand to her own face and tuck hair behind "her" ear as explained. Though she felt things slow down as a somewhat bothered look graced her body's face. Clearly Ichigo wasn't used to such close contact. She retracted her hand slowly, letting an expression of guilt appear on her face. He knew she was sorry even though she didn't need to be. Though he couldn't manage to calm his suddenly racing heart and feeling of anticipation when she did such a simple action.

Orihime turned around, not facing him. "We should get back to class before it starts," she commented before beginning to walk, slowly becoming accustomed to his weight and leg length. Ichigo stood alone on the roof for a moment, feeling somewhat baffled. The two were slowly beginning to figure out what had happened, but although she was in his body, he could still tell something was wrong with the healer.

Mentally, he promised himself that he'd talk to her further, later. Taking a step towards the door she previously left through, Ichigo plastered on a fake smile, wondering just how the hell they were going to pull this off.

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	3. Chapter 3

_Dawww, some seriousness in this chapter. :P Oh well, I'll try to make this more amusing later on or something. Enjoy~ (Yay for OOC!Ichigo)  


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"Well… It's certainly interesting to see you eating here with us, Inoue-san."

"Er, really? Should I leave?"

"It's fine… Inoue." She shuddered, as it was weird to call herself by her last name. "Stay." Her eyes, now brown because she was currently inhabiting Kurosaki Ichigo's body, added her normal 'please' as she glanced to her own form. Ichigo only nodded and ate at the rice ball. Maybe the rest of the group didn't notice the tension, but the two struggled to keep their acts up.

Orihime thought it would be easy to keep her facial expression scrunched up all day, like Kurosaki-kun normally did. Turns out it hurt after a while, and the normal, scowling expression he had on was replaced with a clearly stressed and hesitant one. Luckily for her, people still thought it was normal for him, only he was lost in deep thought or something.

For a while, Ichigo actually didn't mind relaxing so much. To not have to constantly scowl and frown was sort of a relief. Though the thing that got to him was trying to appear so happy. He wasn't a happy person, dammit; he was no good at acting like the happiest person in the world! Though… His eyes shifted over to the side, taking a quick glance at his body and the expression on it.

He still needed to talk to her. Not about all this crazy shit that was happening, but about what happened in Hueco Mundo. Sure, she tried her best to feign enthusiasm, but it was a mask, and sometimes he could see the façade of hers crumble, and he'd see a quick flash of pain and hurt. Most likely caused from the events in that horrid place.

"You know… It's sort of weird to be back," Orihime commented, surprising Ichigo by both breaking the silence and saying something he might've said. Rising an eyebrow, he looked at her questioningly. "It's hard to believe all that happened." Chad nodded while Ishida pushed up his glasses.

"I have to agree. Though I'm glad to see you're back and well, Inoue-san," Ishida commented before taking a sip of his drink. "You could've stood to rescue her quicker, Kurosaki."

Ichigo shuddered at the lame attempt Ishida made to hit on the girl he appeared as. Refraining from punching the rival friend, he groaned at the awkward feeling in his stomach while thinking about Ishida even _thinking_ he could be with Inoue. She was a good person, and he was just… an idiot, he concluded. Inoue was too good for him.

Glancing back at his body with the girl still in it, she looked troubled. Did she not know how to respond?

"I… did the best I could… Ishida," she responded staggeringly, trying her best not to say anything hurtful towards her friend. Frowning, Ichigo felt his stomach sink lower at her desperate attempts. _Damn, this really is hard…_

"The way I see it, your best wasn't enough," he finished, standing up with a small scowl. Orihime remained silent, and slightly hurt. It wasn't intentionally directed towards her, but she couldn't help but take it sort of personal. They had no idea of the switch, and this was how Ishida interacted with "Ichigo" normally. Ishida pushed up his glasses and turned to "Orihime".

"Will you be at handicraft's club this afternoon, Inoue-san?"

"Eh?" Ichigo snapped out of his thoughts, now looking up to the Quincy. "Oh… Uh, no. I have an errand to run."

Feeling a bit smug at the obvious down expression Ishida now sported, Ichigo watched the boy leave and couldn't help but smile a bit at his 'inner' victory. _Inoue won't be hanging out with that stupid jerk, cuz she'll be with me!_

Leaving only Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad on the roof, Ichigo stopped and wanted to slap himself silly for thinking such a thing. Why in the world would he be jealous of Ishida? If Inoue chose to spend time with him, that was her choice. _But still…_

He glanced over once more, brows relaxing a bit. _I can't help but want to spend more time with her after all that's happened… But that's just because I promised to protect her, right?_

"… You okay?" Chad asked "Ichigo", a single eye peeking through his mass of hair. Orihime nodded and continued to look at the food in her newly enlarged hands.

"Yeah… Thanks."

Soon, Chad as well got up and left the two alone. As soon as the doors to the rooftop closed, both teens blew a sigh of relief and their facial expressions went back to normal. They didn't say anything, but they both thought the same thing.

_It's not easy being him._

_It's not easy being her._

Ichigo extended his now short legs from their previous position, one to prevent the skirt he was wearing from flying up. After sitting like that, he wondered how in the world all the other girls did it. He leaned on his hands, putting them slightly behind his back, palms flat on the floor of the roof.

"Are you really okay?" He asked in a genuinely concerned voice, but kept his eyes on the bright blue sky. Orihime nodded at first, but was accompanied with hesitation.

"Of course! I'm just a bit tired is all," She explained, putting her uneaten food back into the brown paper bag between them. "I just never thought it'd be so difficult to act like someone else." Ichigo mentally agreed in silence before looking back at her and her now masculine appearance.

"You haven't been eating much lately," he commented.

She froze and was almost tempted to pull the food back out and continue eating.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun… I'm in your body now; I have to at least take good care of it."

"That's not my concern."

She remained silent and pulled her knees close to her, putting her nose into the soft gray fabric of the pants. "I'm fine, really Kurosaki-kun," Orihime quietly responded, keeping her voice as low as possible. Only, a few minutes later she suddenly threw her hands up and waved them frantically in front of him. It looked sort of funny to see himself acting so exuberantly. "So please don't worry about me!"

Ichigo frowned again, not believing her words.

"I hope you know I'm willing to listen if you have something on your mind. That is, if you'll let me," he told her before standing up as the final lunch bell rang. He extended a hand as he spoke, offering to help her up. She hesitantly took it, nodding.

"I… Would you… Do you mind…? Oh, never mind…"

"No, what were you going to say?"

"Erm, c-can we talk then for a while? Maybe after we go to Urahara-san's shop after school? Just as a friendly conversation kind of thing," She quietly requested, nervously knotting her fingers together. Ichigo looked at her a bit surprised. He didn't really think she'd take his offer.

"Sure."

And then she smiled, startling Ichigo. Seeing _that_ bright of a smile on his own face was something he hadn't seen in a long, long time. It made him wonder what stopped him from being so happy after his mother died. Inoue's brother died and she still managed to live each day to the fullest. So what was stopping him?

He couldn't help but put on an awkward frown at what this girl was doing to him.

"No problem… Now let's get to class before we get in trouble."

--

"Well, isn't it nice to see Inoue-san and Kurosaki-san here? I would've thought you'd ignore me and the shop after the war and all!"

"Er, Urahara-san, we have a problem…" Orihime spoke nervously to the shopkeeper, twisting her fingers together again. She wanted to remain as calm as possible about the situation. Ichigo, on the other hand, had already forced the man to the wall, holding him up by his shirt. Although he had a bit of difficulty doing so, as his strength was greatly lessened with the new body he was in.

"This is your entire fault!" He growled, causing Urahara to raise an eyebrow.

"My, my Inoue-san, I never knew you had such forceful feelings for me. But I apologize; my heart belongs to someone else."

Orihime tentatively put a hand on her body's shoulder, hoping it would calm the boy's rousing spirit. With a heavy flinch and a quick look back, Ichigo saw the worry in the familiar brown eyes, hesitantly letting go of the no good shopkeeper. _I want to rip him apart… But it's for Inoue._ He told himself.

"Urahara-san, we-" Orihime started but was quickly cut off by the blonde.

"You've switched bodies, correct?" He asked, taking out his fan, beginning to wave it in front of his face. A scowl quickly replaced Ichigo's previously relaxed face, and he had to clench his hands together into a fist to prevent himself from forcing the man to the wall again.

"So you _did_ do something last night!!" He spat, grinding his teeth together. Orihime had a hard time keeping her hands to herself as well, as she only wanted to calm her friend down.

"Did I? I could only tell by your reiatsus. "Inoue-san's" spiritual pressure is practically exploding, while, "Kurosaki-san's" is calm and much lower," he explained, his eyes flashing with curiosity. "But why blame me about your sudden change? If I do say so myself, Kurosaki-san, I think this change is appropriate for you, seeing as you're so awkward when it comes to the female body." Urahara tipped his hat to cover his eyes, all while holding back a fit of giggles. Orihime finally had to put a hand on "her" shoulder to reign the boy in. Ichigo jumped at the surprising hand on his shoulder, but looked at his own face with mixed emotions. _This is for Inoue, this is for Inoue…_ He repeated like a mantra in his head.

"Did you happen to give a couple of drinks to Rangiku-san last night?" Orihime spoke out, breaking her own silence. She looked to the blonde with hopeful eyes, wishing she'd get an answer.

"… Maybe…"

"Please, Urahara-san, did you do something to those drinks?" She pleaded again, lips beginning to quiver with more worry. Urahara gave a light shudder at "Ichigo's" manners and trembling lips. Definitely not something he was used to.

"I might've been paid by Matsumoto-san to do something… Who knows?" He finished, tipping his hat even lower.

"What??" Ichigo exploded, throwing his hands up into the air. "What the hell where you thinking??" He fiercely questioned, losing resolve to _not_ attack the man in front of him.

"She wanted something interesting to happen! I was drinking too at the time, you can't expect my judgment to be of best quality, Kurosaki-san," the shopkeeper explained, waving the fan at a more frantic pace. He'd been found out, and honestly, he wanted to see what would happen as well. He wasn't as silly as people thought he was, and he definitely saw that Orihime liked the boy. So why not stir life up a bit by slipping a few soul mixers into their drinks? (Soul mixers being the thing that caused their souls and bodies to be 'swapped'.)

"I question your judgment normally!" Ichigo retorted quickly, poking a hard finger into the man's chest. Orihime waved her hands and begged that he back off. She really didn't want them to get into a fight, although Ichigo thought she was protesting for a different reason.

_Oh shit, she's probably upset over her body… I can't just throw it around so carelessly, it might get injured!_ He soon retracted his hand and held it back by his side.

"Urahara-san, how long will it take for this to wear off?" Orihime questioned, folding her large hands together, doing her best not to show too much worry in her voice. The blonde shinigami just shrugged.

"Maybe sometime between 3-4 days? A week at most is possible too."

Ichigo sighed and felt his eyes roll to the back of his head. _A week!! A week like this, in Inoue's body! A body with… Arg!_

_**I believe the term is boobs, king.**_

_SHUT UP, You're not helping!!_

"Oh… I see. Thank you Urahara-san!" Orihime fervently thanked and bowed, before hastily turning around and leaving the Urahara Shouten. Ichigo was left confused in the shop, wondering why the heck she had left so suddenly. He looked back to Urahara, who was motioning for him to leave, as if he should catch up to her. _He doesn't have to tell me twice…_ And with a swift pivot, Ichigo followed after the girl in his body.

But she was just waiting for him outside the shop; hands folded behind her back and leaned against the wall of the Shouten. Eyelids were closed over his familiar amber eyes, brows knitted tightly together as if worried.

"Inoue?" He questioned, but kept quieter as not to startle her too bad. She cracked open an eye and he flinched a bit at the slow movement she was making. He could feel his cheeks heating up. Sure, they were in each other's bodies, but he didn't see it as looking at himself. It was of course like looking into a mirror, but he could still picture her own angelic face as she acted the way she did.

"Are you finished in there, Kurosaki-kun?" She asked, opening both eyes fully. He nodded and she began walking again. He started to feel a bit bothered that she was so out of it. Granted, she said she would try her best to act like him, and this was sort of a spin-off of himself, but he still could tell something was wrong. _… Later…I'll ask her later._

She remained in front of him as they walked, and he could feel the tension building the quieter it got. He wasn't good at small talk, and it appeared that the healer had something on her mind, thus keeping her quiet.

It wasn't long until they got to her apartment and her cheeks started to grow red. "Since we'll be stuck like this, it'll probably be better if we still stayed where we were." She started, casually digging her hand into her pants pocket, before realizing her key wasn't there. "I-I mean, I-if you don't want to stay here, I understand! I just wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your father about-"

"No, that's a good idea Inoue," Ichigo commented before handing her bag to Orihime. Her actual one, not the Kurosaki-kun bag she had by her own side. "I, uh… saw a key on the table and just put it in here." He explained.

Nodding, Orihime took it into her own hands and began digging through the book bag before taking out a small gold key, a smile on her face. "Here we go!" She spoke enthusiastically, giving Ichigo some relief in his heart. She seemed to be better all of a sudden. Within a few minutes, Orihime put the key into the lock and let them in, the darkness creeping into every corner of the flat. She shuddered while out of his sight as she quickly flipped on the lights.

"So… There's food in the kitchen, the heater and futon is in that room. Hm… What else is there…?" Orihime paused for a moment while looking around. Ichigo stared at her questionably as she was in deep thought. _Maybe this won't be so bad…_ He thought, resisting the urge to cross his arms again. _It'll be quiet. I'll be alone… Just how I like it._

"Well, you can pretty much use whatever you want, I guess. Oh, I hope you don't mind the weirdness of this all, Kurosaki-kun," She explained, bringing her gaze to the floor. "And I'm sorry."

"Huh? Inoue, what are you sorry for?" He asked curiously. She continued to look at the interestingly plush carpet until she snapped her head back up with a big smile.

"Nothing, never mind Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime glanced at the clock on the wall, noting the time. "I guess I should start making my way over to your house then." She additionally commented, turning even brighter than before.

"Be careful for my dad."

"Eh?"

"My dad likes to beat the hell out of me for no good reason. Just be careful, okay? It'd be bad if you got hurt."

Orihime wanted to think that he was being sweet by caring for her safety, but she deflated her high hopes. It was obviously because she was in his body, and any damage to it would be bad for him later on.

"Oh, don't worry, Kurosaki-kun! I have a black belt in Karate! I wouldn't want to hurt your dad, but I can defend myself if I need to," she explained, pumping a fist into the air. He couldn't help but crack a small grin at her carefree attitude. She smiled as well, until her face fell as if she remembered something. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Hastily, she ran to the kitchen and quickly returned with a pen and paper. She wrote a bunch of numbers on the paper before shoving it towards the shinigami boy.

"Here's my phone number in case of an emergency," she told him before taking her actual bag again, rummaging around through it. Orihime soon pulled out her own phone and held it up with a smile. "So if something big happens that you need help with, I can rush over to your rescue!" she chirped before shoving the phone into her pants pocket. Ichigo cocked his head to the side.

"You've thought an awful lot about this, it seems…"

Turning red again, Orihime folding her hands together again nervously. "Oh, you know me. I daydream a lot."

"You've daydreamed about us switching bodies?" He asked exasperatedly, eyes growing wide.

… _Maybe…_

"Oh no, not us exactly. Just the thought of walking in someone else's shoes would be cool, is all," she told him, picking up his actual bag. "Anywho… Talk to you later then, Kurosaki-kun?" He nodded and she started to leave. Ichigo couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his head, telling him he was forgetting something. Then it clicked and he remembered.

"Inoue, wait!" He yelled out, stopping her as she was halfway down the stairs. "Didn't you say you wanted to talk?" He inquired. She looked at him confused at first, and then looked as if she had a revelation. Only, she looked out towards the sun setting, an unreadable look on her face.

"No, it was nothing, Kurosaki-kun," she spoke slowly, and then gave him a big smile. "Never mind." He swallowed thickly as he watched her jump down the last steps and start walking back to the house he called his own home. His heart was awkwardly hurting a bit and he definitely didn't like how far away she seemed.

… _I don't like how distant she is… It makes me feel like I can't reach her._

But he turned around and went back inside, letting the lock click shut behind him. Only, the more he thought about her being away, the lonelier he felt.

.

.

.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm home," she called out to the inhabitants of the Kurosaki household. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating a mile a minute, as she wasn't sure how she could pull of acting like the brother and son of the people in this home. The light-brown haired girl from earlier that morning poked her head out from the hallway, a smile still on her face.

"Welcome home Onii-chan!" Yuzu greeted her "brother". Orihime nodded and smiled a bit to her. _It's… nice to be greeted like this… _She concluded, enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling she was getting from the simple hello.

"Oh, you're cooking?" Orihime asked, noting the spatula in her hand as she took off the large shoes and put the nearby slippers on. She could smell something delicious from afar and her mouth watered at the thought of what it could be. Yuzu nodded and pointed towards the kitchen.

"Yup! Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she explained, making her way back to the kitchen to make sure nothing was burning. The healer followed in pursuit, sliding her hands into her pockets.

"Do you need any help?" Orihime offered, a smile still on "her" face. Yuzu stopped and turned around, a shocked expression on her face. "Eh? What's wrong?" She immediately became worried.

"O-Onii-chan offered to help me cook! This has never happened before!!" She sobbed happily, grabbing her "brother's" hand and dragging him to the nearby kitchen. Orihime frowned and inwardly scolded herself. _I'm so stupid!_ _I can't believe I made such a mistake!_

Yuzu offered her brother an apron which Orihime went bug-eyed over. It was pink with a heart on the front, and ruffles went around the bottom edges of the fabric. _I-It's so cute!!_ She mentally cheered. Gleefully accepting it, she put it on and tied the back tightly. Yuzu watched her brother in amazement, as she had never seen him so fervent to help him before.

"What can I help with?" Orihime inquired, pointing to all the already yummy looking food at the table.

"You can set the table and put those dishes on too," Yuzu told her, busying herself with other foods. Nodding to herself, Orihime grabbed the dishes and brought them to the table nearby. To her surprise, the other twin, Karin was her name if she remembered right, was sitting in the chair, her elbows propped up on the hard surface. She had a bothered look on her face.

"Something wrong Karin?" Orihime asked, feeling guilty about addressing her without a suffix at the end. The girl looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"You…"

"DADDY'S READY FOR DINNER!!" A loud voice bellowed out, startling Orihime. The two looked towards the sound of the voice and in came a man with brown hair and a goatee. Still shaken up, she put down the plates before she'd drop something. _Kurosaki-kun's father?_ She wondered, looking at the man from the corner of her eyes.

Isshin went behind the girl inhabiting his son's body with a large smile. "It's nice to see you actually helping out around here!!" He cheered, giving her a "pat" on the back. Orihime bit her lip in pain, trying to sugarcoat what he had just done. _He didn't slap me and it doesn't hurt. _She forced the mantra into her head. _… Ow…_

It wasn't long until the entire family was sitting down at the table, his father at the head and the two girls on one side with him on the other. Orihime took in the delicious smell of all the food, noting she'd have to tell Kurosaki-kun all about the dishes. Scooping some for herself, Orihime stuck her tongue out with determination.

"So Ichigo, my son! Tell me about your day!" Isshin inquired animatedly, grabbing his chopsticks and pointing at the "boy" with forcefulness. _Boy, those look dangerous,_ she noted while swallowing thickly.

"Nothing interesting…" She commented before passing the bowl to Karin, whom had a confused look on her face. The healer shook their stare and looked at the plate of food in front of her. "It was just normal school."

"My, my, what a boring day!" He cried, frowning heavily. Orihime choked back a laugh at his amusing expression and shoved the chopsticks into her mouth. What she met was the yummiest food she'd ever had, and it didn't even have red bean paste or honey on it!! She grinned and took another bite. "Did you talk to Orihime-chan at all?"

Orihime choked on her food at the mention of her name and started pounding at "her" chest to alleviate the pressure. Isshin stood up, startling her, and pointed at her. "Aha, I knew it!! You did!!" He cheered and began to dance. She thought it was a bit amusing, but now she really feared blowing her and Kurosaki-kun's cover.

"O-Oh, well, I did talk to her a bit, I guess…" she replied hesitantly after successfully managing to remove the lodged piece of food. Although 'a bit' was a huge understatement. She had talked to "Orihime" for much more than that, due to their current predicament. Glancing up to the family, the watched the rest of them talk in idle chatter, and she let her lips curl into a smile.

To be around such lively people, who all cared for each other was… nice… Kurosaki-kun was very lucky to have such familial bonds.

Remembering her loneliness from being in her apartment, Orihime began to wish she could have people around her like this. She had friends, but knowing there would be someone there to come home to was a pleasant thing to think about. Propping her head into her hand, she half-heartedly watched the family while pondering her usual isolation.

… _I wish I could have a family like this…_

--

Hours later, Orihime plopped herself into "her" bed, cheeks slightly flushed at the constant smell of Kurosaki-kun in the room. Her heart hurt still from her painful thoughts from dinner, but the reminder of _him_ made her feel a little better.

A knock at the door startled her, causing her to look towards the entrance with slightly furrowed eyebrows.

"You can come in," she told to person in a low tone, never breaking her gaze with the entryway. Moments later, Ichigo's father, Isshin, walked in with a solemn look on his face. She opened her mouth to say something but shut it immediately instead.

"You were awfully quiet at dinner," Isshin commented, folding his arms with a small smirk on his face. Orihime only nodded before returning her head to the pillow and staring at the ceiling.

"Sorry," she replied unevenly, feeling horrible for not acting like Kurosaki-kun properly.

"No, no, it's okay… Orihime-chan."

Snapping from her lying position, Orihime looked towards the man in bewilderment. "H-How do you…?" She stuttered, flustered. How in the world did he know about the switch?? He grinned and walked over to the bed, taking a seat at the end.

"Your reiatsu," he told her simply. "And I might've gotten a warning call from Kisuke." She dropped her jaw and felt her cheeks heat up. They had been found out.

"H-How do you know Urahara-san? And reiatsus?" She asked, sitting completely upright while folding her hands in her lap. He brought a hand to his chin and began to stroke it as if in deep thought. He sighed deeply before speaking.

"We're old friends. Oh yes, we go waaaaay back," Isshin replied, smiling at fond memories. He quickly turned to her, a stern look on his handsome face. Orihime's cheeks grew hotter as she noticed he had the same brown eyes Ichigo had. _He must get it from his father…_ She mentally commented. "And I'm not as silly as I look. I know all about Soul Society and Ichigo's predicament."

Oh, how Kurosaki-kun would be so livid with her, she reasoned in her head. Now she felt very sick and wanted to cry at the thought of telling the boy she loved that her father knew all about, well, everything. Or maybe she could keep it a secret! Frowning, Orihime didn't think that was a good idea, as she'd feel even worse for withholding information.

"I…" She couldn't speak, as she didn't know what to say.

"You must be special to him," he cut in, a bright grin on his face.

"Eh?"

"For him to go all the way to Hueco Mundo… You must mean a lot to him, Orihime-chan."

Her face was on fire at this sudden revelation. She hadn't thought about it like that at all. The healer figured it was because he wanted to get the war out of the way quicker, or that he actually found it to be a nuisance to have to rescue her. Her heart hammered fast in her chest at new, awkward bubbles of hope, but she mentally commanded herself to calm down. Such thinking was definitely not the case.

"N-No, I don't…" She replied hesitantly, clearing her throat between words. "I-I'm pretty sure he likes Kuchiki-san… Doesn't he?" Isshin looked at her surprised before humming to himself.

"Hm… I'm not sure… I think that's something you'd have to ask him yourself."

Nodding dumbly, Orihime brought her stare to the blue comforter, "her" thumb tracing small circles on the fabric. "Sorry, Kurosaki-san…" She quietly mumbled.

"What in the world are you sorry for, Orihime-chan?" He bellowed, shocking her with his sudden rise in volume. She looked up at him frazzled before bringing her gaze back down.

"For being in Kurosaki-kun's body?" She shrugged, not exactly knowing what she was apologizing for either. Isshin laughed out of the blue and patted the foot of his son's body.

"Don't be sorry about that, Orihime-chan. Besides, it's probably good for Ichigo. He's way too stressed out about girls, and looking like you will do him wonders, with your good looks and all."

Her cheeks flushed hard and she bit her lip. Nodding awkwardly, she really didn't know what to say. Isshin suddenly stood up with a bright grin on his face.

"Don't be afraid to come and talk to me, Orihime-chan! Kisuke said it could last a while, and I'm here if you need it!" He told her, giving her thumbs up. Cocking her head to the side in confusion, she furrowed her brows together.

"Kurosaki-kun's very lucky…" She commented quietly, that familiar ache from earlier returning. "He has such a nice father like you."

"Ichigo doesn't always know what he has," the dad replied huffily, crossing his arms once again. "He doesn't know how great and magnificent of a dad he has," his comment made Orihime laugh for a quick moment, "and he doesn't realize he has you." Her laughter tinkled off and she wondered if he was really telling the truth.

She glanced off to the side in thought before he broke her out of her random bouts of thinking again. "I can be your father figure too, Orihime-chan!" He boldly told her, striking a funny pose. Orihime laughed again and smiled, suddenly feeling very grateful.

"Thank you Isshin-san. I appreciate it very much," she told him thankfully. He gave her one last grin before exiting the bedroom and leaving her alone again. Orihime plopped back onto the bed, staring at the white ceiling once more. _So this is what it's like for Kurosaki-kun to lay here…_ She pondered, almost imagining her own face getting closer and closer as a replay of the night she said goodbye to him.

Closing her eyes, she was about to fall asleep when she remembered the same feeling from earlier. Looking down, her cheeks grew hotter and hotter as she figured out what it was. Standing up nervously, she knew she had to use the bathroom again. Her cheeks burned with shame at what she'd have to do… And see. Oh yes, Kurosaki-kun would be furious with her.

Stumbling off to the nearest toilet, only one though was on her mind.

… _Sorry Kurosaki-kun…_

--

Scratching the back of "his" neck, he was still having trouble getting used to all this. He even couldn't help but grab a fist of hair as he kneaded the slender neck of Inoue Orihime. Hell, every itch or kneading every sore muscle caused him to jump. He was used to the hard angles of his body, not soft curves of Orihime's.

With a flushing face, Ichigo decided he would get himself something to eat, considering his, er… Her stomach was growling in protest. Stumbling to the kitchen with his new weight, he eventually got to the small refrigerator in her small kitchen. Opening up the small door, he frowned and sighed at the new revelation.

She had almost _no_ food.

_What the hell does she eat? _He questioned, digging his hand into the chilly box. _Scratch that. She probably doesn't eat at all…_ Ichigo thought bitterly as he remembered just how tiny she was, as well as his comment earlier about her not eating. He even glanced down to see how small her waist was, but couldn't see it as there was something- No, two somethings preventing him to glance down. His face burned and he continued to look into the fridge.

Eventually he gave up and decided to just go to the store down the street. It wasn't a long walk, and he could get there and back in no time. Slipping on the light coat hanging over the nearby chair, he was about to leave the apartment when he stopped and realized something. He looked down at the coat he was wearing.

It was his. The same one he lent to her the day before, the night they were at Urahara's party. In all honesty, he'd actually forgotten all about it. Vaguely, he wondered if she forgot about it too. Shaking his head and continuing his journey to the convenience store, he remembered all the hell the two had gone through in only 24 hours, and the last thing she'd remember is to grab his coat.

Seeing as it was chilly, he picked up the pace to the store, ignoring the heat in his cheeks from the stupid breeze between his knees. He could maybe admit skirts looked good on girls, like Inoue, but actually experiencing it himself. Shuddering, he decided he'd never do it again as long as he'd live.

A small ding went off as he entered the store, the automatic doors sliding open for him. He went through the aisles looking for something edible, until he decided on easy foods he could make for the next few days.

… _The next few days…_ That was right. He was going to be in her body for longer than just this.

He groaned and rolled his eyes. This was so fucking weird.

Placing the items on the countertop, he slid his wallet from the coat pocket to pay for the meals. He inwardly praised his efforts to remember to grab his wallet from his own bag before she left earlier.

"Hey there cutie," the store clerk whistled, startling the poor boy in the attractive girl's body. He glared at the man and remained silent. _Does she get hit on this often??_ "I don't see you around here much anymore." He pouted as he rang up his items.

"Busy…" Ichigo quickly mumbled, trying hard not to imagine poor Inoue trying to defend herself from this creep. Knowing her, she'd only feel bad about rejecting him and his futile efforts. As far as he knew, she wasn't interested in anyone. _… Or is she?_

"Aw, come on, baby. Surely you can make some time for me. After all, I'm the best looking gu- Hey, is that a man's jacket?" He stopped his stupid rambling and his question was forced. Ichigo smirked and nodded.

"Why yes, yes it is."

"Fuck, don't tell me you have a boyfriend?"

"I do."

_W-Wait, what the hell did I just say?? Inoue doesn't have a boyfriend!!_ He snarled to himself, wincing at his stupid move. Inoue would surely be upset at him. And upon the thought of her being frustrated, not that she ever would be since she's too nice, his heart started to ache. _Damn… I really don't want her to be mad at me. No, I don't want her to be mad period._

"I don't believe you," the clerk scoffed, placing his items in his bag more angrily than he probably would have if he wasn't being lied to. "What's he look like?"

_Fuck, what do I do??_

"… Brown eyes…"

"… And?"

"Orange hair."

_Fuck._

"Wait, wait, wait… You're not referring to that strawberry boy by the park, are you?" The clerk questioned, sounding absolutely aghast by the idea of her liking a punk like him. Refraining from punching the stupid clerk, Ichigo ground his teeth together in anger.

"And what if it is?" He asked in the most polite voice he could muster. He took the plastic bag off the countertop and gave him a hard glare. "Thank you," he spat before turning around and leaving the storm. The shinigami ignored the protests and yelling of how he'd be better than him. Though the more steps he took towards the apartment, the more he hated himself.

_Oh shit… I just told a cashier Inoue and I were d-da-dat-… _ He stopped, unable to complete his sentence while his cheeks burned. _She's going to be so upset with me…_ Ichigo sighed, taking hearty strides towards the flat. The only thing on his mind was how the hell he'd tell her about what happened.

_Sorry Inoue…_

_._

_._

_._

_R & R~  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_WOO, next chapter out. I hope you enjoy this one!! I have some good stuff coming up for the next chapter, so yeah... Hopefully I'll get it up soon!_

* * *

--

The two redheads waited until class started, together in a semi-secluded hallway. They wouldn't have enough time to talk outside or on the roof, so the hallway was the next best thing. Orihime glanced to her body and felt some relief as she noticed her appearance was better than yesterday's. She didn't look so… trashy… Her cheeks burned. _N-Not that Kurosaki-kun is a sloppy dresser! He just doesn't know how to dress like a girl, is all…_

"Kurosaki-kun, I-"

"Inoue, there's-"

Both started talking at the same time, startling each other with accidental starting times. Small smiles both played on their lips for a brief moment, before Orihime gestured for him to speak first. Although upon reading his… her body language, whoever it would be classified as, she became more curious and slightly worried with what he was about to say.

"Um… How often do you go to that convenience store down by your apartment?" Ichigo inquired, cheeks ablaze upon remembering the previous incident there. Tilting her head to the side in confusion, she looked at him with big, amber eyes. _Damn…_ Ichigo thought, never thinking his eyes could get that big.

"Quite often actually. Why do you ask?"

He sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead while feeling defeated. "Is something wrong, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked, her concern for the boy growing. He shook his head and glanced to the side.

"You might… not want to go there anymore," he told her, heart hammering in his chest and shame fueling the rest of his emotions. "I probably… scared… pissed off the clerk there. Actually, n-never mind what I said…" She frowned.

"Kurosaki-kun, what happened?" She worried over him. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple and he brought a hand up to swat it away. She deserved to know. This was her body after all.

"W-Well… The guy… was sort of hitting on you… me… er… you know," he spoke in a hushed tone, heart beating even faster now. _She's gonna hate me for this, I know it. _"It was a heat of the moment thing and I lied to get him off my ass."

"Oh? What did you say Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked inquisitively. Ichigo could just imagine the two as they normally were, with her big eyes and interested expression. She would look sort of cute, he imagined._ S-Shit, did I just call her cute??_

"I…"

"You…?"

"Itoldhimyouhadaboyfriend," Ichigo blurted out all at once. He feared to look at her, but occasionally glanced from the corner of his eyes. She counted on her fingers oddly, retracting what he had just said, considering he spoke too fast.

And then she got it, hitting her like a train.

"E-EHHH??" She squealed, causing him to shiver. He never thought he'd hear his voice go _that_ high, and it was slightly concerning. "Y-You d-did- W-With who??" He grimaced and held in the sudden ache in his stomach. Was she acting flustered because she liked someone and feared for who it was or wasn't? Or was it because he did such a thing in general? He seriously hoped it was the latter.

"I… um…" He merely pointed back to his own body, face burning with shame and her long hair hiding his features as he kept his head bowed. She remained silent until, again, she got it. Only this time, instead of blowing up like before, she only remained silent. The quietness got to him after a while, and he peeked at her through strands of auburn. Orihime kept her eyes closed and breathed in deeply through her nose. _What's going on with her?_ He questioned, noting this was _definitely_ not normal for her.

"W-What I was going to say earlier…" Orihime continued, trying to clear the tension with a hearty clearing of her throat. _O-Oh my…_ She mentally thought, still trying to recollect scattered pieces of her mind. "I-I'm sorry, but I-" The bell rang, cutting her off. He kneaded the back of "his" slender neck and coughed himself.

"We'll finish this later…" He told her, as if it was a promise. She only nodded and watched him walk off, wondering what exactly she should apologize for. For seeing things he'd be furious about? Or for having his dad already know about the situation? Her heart weighing with dread, she decided both would be bad ideas anyway, but she couldn't possibly keep them from him. _Later… I'll tell him later! _She made a mental promise to himself.

Though while taking a step towards the classroom herself, she let her lips curl into a quick smile as she remembered the brief, very short moment she was labeled as the "girlfriend of Kurosaki Ichigo". Her morning was definitely starting out bad, but that little moment already made her day.

--

"You've been looking at Inoue-san a lot lately, Ichigo," Mizuiro commented, glancing up from his phone temporarily. Orihime whipped her head around to look at the boy, cheeks burning. It was true that just then, she was staring through the bars of the fence on the roof, and looking at herself. She wondered just how well he was faring with a bunch of girls down on the school grounds.

"I-I… No, I haven't," Orihime replied hesitantly, trying her best to have an 'edge' to her voice. "I don't know what you're talking about." Inside, Orihime did feel bad for sounding so mean.

"You've been glancing at her constantly for the past week during lunch. Do you like her or something?" Mizuiro continued, sounding slightly coy. Orihime froze for a moment and lifted her hand to count the days. Today would be the second full day they'd been switched, but Mizuiro was talking about the last week.

Her cheeks grew hot at a rapid pace. Had Kurosaki-kun been watching her anyways?? Bringing "her" knee up, she let her arm rest on the appendage and her face settled into the firm crook of his body's elbow.

_W-What if… H-He did actually like me?_

A smile grew on her face at the thought, though she knew she shouldn't be so enthusiastic about something that probably wasn't true. After all, there was still the matter of Rukia.

_Kuchiki-san…_ Orihime remembered the small shinigami, her heart with some pain, as she missed the girl. But would it be such a big deal to ask Ichigo what he thought of her? His father even told her that it'd be best to ask the boy directly.

Though remembering the conversation with Isshin as a whole caused a whole new level of red to appear on her face.

"_You must be special to him, Orihime-chan."_

The small smile from before returned and she closed her eyes, leaving her lunch forgotten. Just for a little while longer, she imagined what he had said was the truth.

--

_Kill me… Kill me now…_

The gossip.

This is one of the things he _hated_ about girls. Well, most girls that is. Inoue was a good example of what he didn't hate. Knitting together his eyebrows, he realized almost everything about her was aspects he liked. There was absolutely nothing to hate about her, or even grow annoyed with.

They chattered at such a fast pace, he couldn't keep up. Eventually, he gave up and concentrated on his lunch, only catching tidbits of the many conversations.

"-though I can't exactly remember the reason Kuchiki-san left," a girl commented, putting her fingers to her chin, stroking it as if in deep thought. Ichigo looked up, slightly intrigued that they all remembered her. He would've wanted to answer with why she left, but he couldn't exactly in this situation.

"It's unfortunate, really. It seemed like Kurosaki-san really liked her. Maybe they were even going out!"

Alarmed, he threw his food to the ground and stood up defiantly.

"They weren't!!" He spoke firmly, angered at the _possibility _that they had been dating. Rukia was a good friend, like family. Granted, he probably wondered about the possible "romance" they could've had at the beginning, but now things just seemed too set in stone to him. Definitely no fishy feelings going on.

Ichigo froze, realizing what he had just done. He immediately brought his hands to his side and cheeks burned with shame. Tatsuki smirked and stifled a laugh.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you Orihime?" She asked, eating her own lunch with a smile. He rose and eyebrow and sat back down, still embarrassed about his little outburst.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean?_

"No, I will not let any man take away my Orihime-chan!!" Chizuru screeched, promptly glomping the healer sitting next to her. He shuddered because the way the girl was leaning onto "her" was uncomfortable. _Dammit, how the hell does Inoue stand it!? _He could only wait until someone else pried her off. Inoue's image _always_ consisted of accepting all, never pushing away anyone. No matter how creepy they were.

"Let go of her, Chizuru," Tatsuki warned, glaring at the pink-haired teen. Chizuru shook her head and held "Orihime" closer.

"Never!! I will never hand over Orihime-chan _or_ her perky breasts to anyone! Not even that fiend Kurosaki Ichigo!!" She yelled and presumed to grab onto said person's chest. Ichigo's eyes grew wide and his face flushed.

_F-FUCK! _He inwardly swore, the first time some touching his… her… He couldn't even explain it, and let out another hasty swear in his head. _I-Inoue lets this pervert grope her like this! _He tried to elbow her away, now really, _really_ ready to punch her instead. A weird tingling feeling shot down his spine and he found it hard to ignore the touch of the incredibly disgusting girl.

"L-Let go!!" He finally managed to collect his very scrambled thoughts, shoving the poor girl away. Chizuru fell back and tears stung at her eyes.

"M-My Hime-chan has rejected my feelings! My life has no meaning anymore!!" She cried before getting up and stumbling off. A faint, _"Curse you Kurosaki!!"_ was heard as she got further away. Ichigo crossed his arms and held his hands to his shoulders, subconsciously hiding "his" breasts from any other attackers. Though it was too bad his normal, teenage boy mind automatically veered off to the thought of just how big and soft they seemed. Had she always had a chest _this_ large?

_D-Dammit all to hell!_

It was definitely not his day.

Though a round of applause startled him and he brought his completely baffled stare to the rest of the group.

"You finally managed to get rid of her! Not that Chizuru-chan is a bad person, but I'm so happy you had the guts to tell her to give you some space!" Mahana smirked, still applauding the healer. Ichigo's face still flamed, but he managed scrunch his eyebrows together, mentally letting another swear pass by. _I'm not doing this right!!_

"D-Do you think she'll leave me alone for a while?" He stuttered, having trouble keeping his mind on the task at hand, not about Inoue's b-b-b-

_**Boobs, king. How many times do I need to repeat it for you??**_

_Shut up, shut up, shut up!!_

Michiru nodded and smiled. "Definitely!" Somehow, he managed to sigh in relief. _At least Inoue will have her off her back for a while…_ A heavy shudder ran down his spine, although much different than before, and with his luck, the bell for class rang, alerting them all lunch was over. Ichigo threw his lunch back into his bag and scoffed lightly to himself.

_Never. EVER again. _The shinigami boy thought to himself, noting to never eat lunch with girls again. Well, with the exception of Inoue. Actually, the more he thought about it, she'd be the only girl he'd be okay eating with. Both Tatsuki and Rukia would make fun of him or beat him up. But Inoue on the other hand...

And then, Ichigo started to feel as if he was being watched. Quickly whipping his head around, he tried to pinpoint the person or thing that was exactly studying him. A bright, always-familiar orange-haired "boy" was looking down from the roof, and it only took him a split second to remember it was Inoue looking at him.

Even from afar, he could see a light blush dusting "his" cheeks, and he dumbly watched himself stick an awkward hand into the air and wave, a smile creeping at the edges of his own lips. With a small smile of his own, he raised his hand in return and waved back to the girl in his body. Upon his small gesture, he could see her laugh and smile bigger. _… At least I did something right…_ He thought as he watched her turn around and follow the rest of his group back down to the class.

Slinging his lunch over "his" shoulder, Ichigo kept his gaze on the ground as he walked back to class himself. The only thing on his mind was her smiling face. The normal one of hers, not this messed up shit they were going through now. Another smile teased the edge of his lips while he hoped that he would be able to see her own smile again, and soon.

.

.

.


	6. Chapter 6

_Waaaah, crappy chappie! ;_; Sorry this is bad and makes no sense. In all honesty, I wrote this in only a few hours and I swear, I was so brainless, I just can't... Urg, my thoughts are seriously scattered and I can't even finish a coherent sentence. XD (And I'm THIS tired, just because I stayed up half and hour later finishing Embers and Envelopes last night. I'm so lame, no?)_

_But meh... It's getting angsty and good. But either way, I hope this makes some sense. :o If you have questions, please ask and I'll do my best to explain to you._

* * *

--

"Well, I should get going," Orihime spoke almost tonelessly, fingers gripping the handle of her schoolbag.

She had walked back to her apartment with him, "walking him home", as they would call it. Since she was the "he" in this situation, she would do the walking, which was what they had agreed on doing. (Well, Ichigo had really gone against it, but for once, Orihime disagreed and wouldn't hear any of it.)

"Sorry for another weird day," she apologized quietly.

"Inoue, don't," he told her firmly, restraining himself from placing a gentle hand on "her" shoulder. "You didn't do a thing wrong." The healer opened her mouth to retaliate, but he shot her a warning glare that immediately quieted her. Her flushed and ashamed face made him smirk a bit.

Orihime turned around to leave down the stairs, leaving the substitute shinigami to his lonesome for yet another long night. Only, he reached out his hand and yelled out a "Wait!" without thinking first. She turned around, eyebrows raised as to why he stopped her.

Yes… Why did he stop her? He had just called out to her carelessly.

"I… You should stay here," Ichigo blurted out, still not thinking before speaking. His cheeks grew dangerously hot before uttering a lame, very untrue excuse. "I need help with math."

A warm smile grew on Orihime's face and she nodded, bouncing herself back up the stairs. "Anything you need help with, Kurosaki-kun, I'll always be there," she replied to him both boldly and nervously. Such words could be interpreted as for simple reasons, such as homework, or much larger ones. Ichigo knew she was referring to those simple ones, but he couldn't help but think they meant something bigger.

The ryoka boy nodded gruffly and turned to go into the apartment, wanting to do _something _with his hands, but not knowing what exactly. He was nervous right now, and for no good reason. And upon being so nervous, he grew very fidgety, wanting to keep his hands occupied.

Ichigo decided on cracking his knuckles, knees awkwardly shaking. At this point, he had wished he could return to the comfort of pants. They were just _so_ much better than skirts.

Orihime took a casual seat at the small table in her living room, intent on beginning their homework immediately. Ichigo took note of her urgency to do the homework as he watched her pull her books out of her bag.

_Does she have something to do? _He wondered, taking a seat across from her. _Or maybe she doesn't want to stay here… with me. _He let himself think bitterly.

"What are you having problems with?" She asked curiously, taking out a pencil and clicking the end to get the lead out.

"Uh… everything," Ichigo lamely replied again. Yet again, swears went off in his head and he brought "his" hand up to his forehead, sighing in distress.

"Eh? Really?" She inquired, almost sounding disbelieving.

Had she caught onto him? Some deep, hidden part of him called out to her because he really enjoyed her company, he mentally confessed.

"I guess we'd better get started then! We have a lot to do!" She chirped, pumping a fist into the air with gusto. Ichigo didn't know whether to laugh amused or awkwardly at the weird scene of him, again, acting so exuberantly. It sort of reminded him of Kon.

With a quick, unnoticed shudder and a nod, he returned to his book bag of his own and had begun to dig for the same books. Almost all his textbooks for math were all out on the table when his badge starting ringing, alerting him there was a hollow on the loose.

'_Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!'_ It screeched, startling them both. Ichigo continued to dig around in the bag until retrieving the annoying buzzer, the device a lot larger in the hands of Inoue's compared to his own ones.

Without a second thought, Ichigo thrust the badge to his chest and his body separated from his spirit and he was free to find the hollow.

"Stay here, Inoue. I'll be right back," he told her firmly, giving her a small smile before exiting out the door he entered through just moments before.

"W-Wait, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime spoke loudly, wanting him to halt. "Her" eyes were big, almost bugging out of her head. Turning around, Ichigo looked at her curiously, wondering the cause of her sudden distress. "H-How…? Kurosaki-kun, your body…" She pointed and could barely mutter.

Looking down, Ichigo noticed and recognized his usual shinigami garb, and was about to shrug, thinking, _So? It's always like this._

But as of late, it wasn't.

His own eyes grew wider and he lifted his hands up, pretty relieved to find it was his normal, larger hands. Those same hands moments later reached up to his head and a wave of relief washed over him to find short orange locks. He whipped his head back up and looked at her confused. _Like she'll have the answer…_ He mentally scolded himself. But an idea popped into his head and his gaze went back to the badge now lying on the table.

Would he have time to test his idea? Or should he go get the hollow first?

Swallowing thickly, as much as he wanted to try the idea out, he decided on the hollow. There was the slim possibility that lives were at stake if he didn't get there quick enough. But then again…

"Inoue, I'll go take care of the hollow. While I'm gone, put the badge against your chest," he told her, allowing both to happen at once. He watched her cheeks flush up and incoherent nonsense spilled from her lips.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, w-what are you-" The loud roar of the hollow cut them both of and they looked towards the door. Looking back at her, she remained silent instead of asking questions, knowing he needed to go.

With a swift nod, Ichigo left the same way he came. Orihime's eyes drifted to the badge on the hard surface, wondering just what it was he was thinking. Her currently long fingers picked up the badge after reaching across, and she stared at it incredulously.

_Kurosaki-kun wants me to do this…_ She told herself, nearing the device closer and closer to her front. _So I will._ With the object in place, Orihime felt a quick jolt, and within moments, her own body was separated from her soul.

--

Irritatingly, it had taken over 45 minutes to find the hollow, and by the time he'd gotten there, the shinigami assigned to the city had already taken care of it. Ichigo grumbled as he hopped from building to building, wondering how that afro-guy could be such a dunce.

Ichigo landed on a building top just one place away from Inoue's apartment. He was about to jump the last step, but stopped himself and sat down instead. So much had happened in the last few days, he didn't even have a chance to stop and take a breather.

Brown eyes focused on the windows, somehow hoping for auburn to flash by the window. He couldn't see anything obvious, but the more he squinted, he had saw his idea had worked.

Orihime had been able to separate her soul from his body.

A smile crept up his face and he rested his chin in the palm of his hand. The healer girl was still sitting at the table, his representative badge in her tiny hands. Her eyebrows were slightly slack and her mouth slightly parted as she stared at the inanimate object.

His new, amused expression soon fell as he watched her with concern, as the young woman pursed her lips continuously, her brows together in what appeared to be frustration. After a while, she placed the item back on the table and brought her hands to her eyes. Almost like they were wiping something away…

Something inside him felt sick all of a sudden. _Time to go back…_ He thought, standing back up and leaping that last step back onto her front veranda.

Turning the door handle, he hoped not to make too much noise and startle her. Ichigo poked his head in, as if making sure the coast was clear.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun, you're back!" Orihime chirped, suddenly a lot happier than she seemed just moments ago. He nodded and let himself back in, the door accidentally slamming hard behind him.

The tangerine-haired boy took in the sight in front of him, not missing an inch of her. More than 48 hours ago, he would've been normally indifferent to see plain, old Inoue. But now… So much stuff happened too fast; he never thought he'd be so happy to see her bright smiling face, shining eyes, luscious locks…

The way things should've been.

But he was startled to see the girl in his own clothes. Heat traveled to his face, barely remembering that the soul often "wore" the same garments as when in the body. (Of course, with the exception of shinigamis.) He had to admit, it looked sort of… right for her.

_Oh damn, now I'm thinking my clothes look good on her?_

_**Maybe we should assist her in removing them and putting her in proper attire? **_His own hollow growled in delight.

_Can you ever show up at a decent time?_

"So it worked?" He inquired, retaking his seat next to her. _Maybe we've outdone Urahara-san…_ Ichigo thought, replacing his chin in his palm as he watched her animatedly. She smiled again and nodded, her hair and _other_ features bouncing with her excitement. Ichigo tried to contain the blush in his cheeks and keep his eyes on her own.

"Yes! I'm so happy to look like myself again! Oh, although…" Orihime picked up the chain and started to tug lightly at it. "This chain…" She started, frowning lightly. "It's, um… somehow still connected to your body?" She spoke cautiously, not know what the exact name of it is.

A groan escaped his lips and he scooted over to view what she was talking about. "Are you serious?" He asked, brows furrowing in frustration. _And here I thought we'd figured out a solution to this…_

Orihime merely nodded and focused her eyes to the ground, clutching her hands lightly to her chest. Her lips were set into a thin line, as if worried about something.

Ichigo saw what she was talking about and groaned again. _Nope. Definitely no easy way out._ It wasn't long until he saw her suffering state and was about to say something, but she brought her head up to look at him, a clearly forced smile on her face.

"Couldn't we just cut it?" She inquired, tilting her head to the side. His stomach clenched at the idea.

"Hell no."

"E-Eh?? But why?"

"You'd die, Inoue," were the bitter words that slipped from his mouth. Just the thought alone of her having to go to Soul Society made his heart ache questionably. "I'm not cutting it."

Orihime formed her mouth into a small 'O' and nodded yet again, bringing her eyes back to the floor, her index finger of her right hand drawing small circles into the plush carpet.

_Now's the time._ He told himself, remembering how he'd talk to her about being in Hueco Mundo.

"Inoue, I've wanted to-" He stopped shortly after he started, growing even further in concern as her eyes grew more scrunched together, as if in great pain. "Oi, are you okay??"

Orihime nodded and forced herself to bring her hands to her lap, and not clutching at the chain embedded in her chest.

"I-It's nothing," she told him simply. He didn't believe her and scooted another spot closer. The healer's cheeks grew exponentially hotter and she ended up bringing her gaze up to his chocolate brown one.

Since when did the distance between them get so small?

Her breath hitched at the lack of space and her back straightened. She desperately wanted to tug at the chain, as it was causing the most of her troubles. Regardless of her pain, she didn't want to worry him and forced herself to keep her hands in her lap.

Ichigo watched her with a sudden new fervor, eyes taking in all her facial features. Her crimson-brushed cheeks, her bright gray eyes… And when she quickly stuck her tongue out to dampen her suddenly dry lips, the shinigami felt a bolt of heat rush through his system, sending him off the edge.

He closed the space a bit further, his breath tickling her face as he spoke quietly. "Inoue…" Her own eyes darted to his lips, then back up to his eyes before uttering words of her own.

"T-The chain…" She replied, almost breathlessly. "I-It hurts a bit to breath…" Orihime was now whispering against his own lips, eyes growing dangerously heavy.

With one last flutter of her lashes, he closed the gap between the two, their lips meeting together in a sweet, tender kiss. Both could feel shocks from the connection, from their lips to the tips of their toes. Orihime managed to melt into what was happening and seemed to be responding with the same actions, albeit much more shyly. Her small hand raised up to fist the fabric of his shihakusho, her fingers accidentally brushing over the little spot of bare skin uncovered by the fabric.

Ichigo wanted to smile for the longest time at how soft and… soft her lips were. He mentally groaned at his inability to describe it as anything else. But with her around, she just somehow made him forget everything.

He moved his lips against hers while snaking a hand around her waist, the fabric of "his" shirt bunching up together, as it was too large for her tiny frame. His opposite hand was placed on the crook of her neck, his thumb lightly stroking her skin. Orihime turned redder and brought herself a bit closer to him, their chests flushed against each others. Minutes later, they separated, both breathless and feeling amazed.

But then it hit him.

He had just been kissing Inoue Orihime.

_Fuck._

"I-Inoue… I'm so sorry, I-I really shouldn't have done that," he stuttered, unfortunately relinquishing his grasp on her oh-so tiny waist. Her eyes grew bigger than before, it almost startled him. Although it wasn't just the size that alarmed him; it was the pain they held.

_Great… I fucked up bad._

Orihime pulled away and began quickly and sloppily shoving her books back into her bag, biting her lip all the way, her self-hate reeling back in.

_How in the world could I have thought he liked me? _Her voice sounded so broken in her head. _I-It's obvious he mistook me for Kuchiki-san or something!! That's it! He was thinking of Kuchiki-san...  
_

Orihime finished piling her books in and crawled her way back to his body, at the moment, really wishing she _could_ cut the chain. That way she could at least go somewhere without always seeing him. It's not that she didn't want to see him, but him kissing her out of the blue then regretting it was apparently too much for her.

She struggled and Ichigo watched, still feeling ashamed, but she eventually managed to form herself back into his body. Standing up, readjusting back to the new weight again, Orihime had a hard time keeping a firm grip on the bag.

"I-I just remembered, I-I need to… go…" She quickly fibbed, just wanting to get out of her own apartment.

He didn't say anything. Why should he say anything? He didn't deserve to talk to her after kissing her like _that_ and not knowing her feelings first. Hell, he didn't even know his own feelings… He just knew she looked so beautiful for that short moment that felt like forever.

"Oh, and Kurosaki-kun?" She regained some breath, forcing the stinging pain at her eyes to go away. "Y-Your father knows about this." Orihime dropped the bomb, leaving so quickly Ichigo had no time to absorb and process the information. Therefore, he wasn't able to say anything in return.

_Shit… Can my life get any worse??_

Letting his body fall back into the plush carpet, he ignored the slight pain from Zangetsu prodding him in the arm, as it was on the floor as well.

Just when things were looking semi-up with him and Inoue, things turned for the worst. He was actually really enjoying spending this time with her, as weird as it was to be in each other's bodies. And now he had to go royally fuck it up by doing something like kissing her.

_Way to go, Kurosaki… Way to go…_

_._

_._

_.  
_


	7. Chapter 7

_ARG! I rewrote this chapter TWICE because it was so crappy the first time around. XD And it still is crappy and all over the place. (Though the first time around, Orihime went to school the next morning and got attacked by Keigo because "Orihime" was being too quiet and they thought it was "Ichigo's" fault. Then Orihime got punched by Tatsuki, albeit not knowing it was her best friend, and then Orihime ran away. Then Ichigo followed her. Then she started talking to Shun'o and Tsubaki while he listened in... But yar, see how that's a crappy plot? [/rages] Urrrg, such a bad chapter. Sorry peeps. I hope you like it anyways._

_And to answer the question asked from last chapter as to why it's hard to breathe/hurts with the chain she has. Remember back to the manga chapters with the fight w/ her brother? She was talking about the chain and how it was hard to breathe and stuff. (Even with Ichigo and the shattered shaft arc, he had trouble breathing at first too.) So yeah... That's the deal with that.

* * *

_

--

Orihime bolted through the door of the Kurosaki home, biting her bottom lip while tears stung at her eyes. _This switching thing has caused nothing but trouble!_ But she wouldn't didn't blame Urahara, Rangiku, Ichigo, or anyone else affiliated with their problem. She dropped the bag in the hall and hastily took off her shoes, growing even more upset at how long it took to do it.

"My son! You have returned!!" Isshin cheered, obviously putting on an act since the Kurosaki twins were currently home as well. Orihime brought her eyes up to meet his and they held nothing but raw pain. "Ah, what's wrong?" He questioned, bringing his voice down. The auburn-haired healer shook her head and kept silent, only tossing her irritating shoe to the floor in distress.

"I-I'll be in his room..." Orihime muttered, her voice cracking with every word. But upon realizing being in his room was her only safe haven for the time being, everything seemed to hurt more. Regardless, Orihime trudged up the stairs, feeling bad about ignoring his sisters.

It wasn't long until she was in his room, slamming the door closed behind her. And it was as if something inside her cracked, because she broke down and sobbed.

_Don't cry..._ Orihime told herself bitterly. _Kurosaki-kun doesn't cry!_

But she continued to anyways, because Inoue Orihime _does_.

"_You must be special to him, Orihime-chan."_

Sniffling and wiping away tears, she only wished that were true.

--

Orihime went to school the next day with swollen eyes, although, she didn't know if it was because she had cried the previous night or her lack of sleep.

_Probably both..._ She mundanely thought as a yawn escaped her. She slid open the school door with her opposite hand, feeling unemotional at what, or more specifically, who she might see beyond that entrance. Though Orihime wasn't even allowed to take one step in the door, as she was grabbed by a hand and led right back out of the room. Despite being dragged, she still managed to determine who it was that was pulling her along.

_K-Kurosaki-kun?_

She didn't ask questions as he led her right back out the doors of the school building. Though once he got to the entrance gates, she started to get alarmed.

"W-Wait, aren't we going to school?" She stuttered, trying to keep her voice from cracking again. He only squeezed his hand as a response, not trusting his own voice either. Orihime bit her lip and Ichigo continued to walk her along.

It wasn't long until they were back at her apartment, Orihime's heart dropping slightly at the sight. After all, it was just yesterday he had kissed her and then immediately regretted it.

"Kurosaki-kun... I-"

"We're taking the day off today," Ichigo cut her off, finally looking at her. Reading his eyes, she couldn't tell what was going through his mind as it appeared that his emotions were all over the place. "We've gone through so much crap, we deserve that much."

Orihime opened her mouth to respond, not knowing what she'd say anyways, but he stopped her with a soft glare. Snapping her mouth shut, she nodded dumbly and looked at the door, then back at him. Minutes later, Ichigo had unlocked the door and they were both inside. Orihime couldn't help but hold her breath unintentionally as she replayed yesterday's events in front of her.

On the small table they did homework previously, sat Ichigo's representative badge. She watched her body pick it up and put it against "her" chest, once again separating the body and soul. A quick gasp escaped her lips as she watched her body falling carelessly, but soon enough, Ichigo caught it and held it by the waist. A small smirk played on his lips, but it was hard to determine whether it was hurt, amused, or whatever other emotion he was feeling.

Her cheeks grew hot at seeing him hold her body so casually on the waist like that, and suddenly it was a lot harder to breathe. He set it down on the floor, back leaning against the wall. Standing back up, he looked at her, noting her own confusion.

"Being normal like this isn't so confusing..." He confessed, running a hand through his usual bright orange locks. Orihime silently agreed, beginning to miss her curves and easy normalcy of a girl.

"Do you... want to do it too?" He asked, wondering if she felt the same. Looking at her own, original body, her expression fell and she nodded, knowing this would be the only opportunity to be herself, at least for a little while.

Ichigo motioned for her to sit down next to her own body, which she did. Biting her lip again, she tried her best not to let negative thoughts invade her brain.

_He doesn't want his body hurt, of course. _She thought as she sat down. _Because if I tried to do the same thing he just did, it'd end up falling to the floor._

She was now seated and took in a deep breath, a shaky hand extending hesitantly out to receive the device. Only, he shook his head and held it in his own.

_W-what's he doing?_

Ichigo kept the badge in his own hand and moved it slowly, but surely, towards his body, with his opposite hand on her shoulder. Her breath hitched at his closeness and she closed her eyes, trying to get the heat from her cheeks to go away.

Orihime could feel his breath on her face, causing her to scrunch up her nose, and moments later, he forced the badge onto her chest, once again separating the body and soul. While Ichigo's body fell back against the wall and next to hers, Orihime's soul remained sitting up, eyes still closed and cheeks hot.

_Did it work? _She wondered, at first not noticing his hand was still on her shoulder. Pulling her own hands close to her chest, she noticed the lovely familiarity that only girls have and started to smile. _It did work._

Her eyes fluttering open, she found Ichigo still plenty close with a small smile on his face. Feeling her face get hotter, she tilted her head to the side.

"K-Kurosaki-kun?" She asked, _now_ noting how his thumb was lightly stroking her shoulder, the feeling causing shivers to go down her back. His face suddenly fell and he pulled away, mentally noting he had gone too far.

_This is what I get for listening to Tatsuki..._ He thought, heat rising in his own cheek, remembering the conversation just moments before Orihime had gotten to class.

--

"_Eh? Why are you so quiet this morning, Orihime?" Tatsuki inquired, noticing her best friend's lack of speech and unusual distance. Ichigo turned his head towards her, nonchalant about her words. Shrugging, he still remained silent._

"_Don't tell me..." The friend continued. "Did Ichigo finally do something to you??" Ichigo snapped his head back, eyes wide._

What does she mean by finally? _He wondered; scowl beginning to set in on his face. "N-No, he didn't," Ichigo lied, accidentally stuttering along the way._

"_Liar, he did. You're stuttering!" Tatsuki exclaimed._

Damn..._ Somehow, he knew it would be his downfall, that stutter of his._

"_Finally after three years of liking him, he finally made a move!" Tatsuki grinned, taking a seat in front of him. Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo began to get sorely confused as to what she was referring to._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Come on Orihime, don't play dumb. I'm just saying it's about time he noticed you liked him," Tatsuki responded curiously, slightly wondering why her friend was acting this way. A heat found its way to his cheeks, wondering if his ears were hearing right. "Ever since you came to this school, almost _everyone_ immediately knew you liked him. I'm just glad he finally got his thoughts straight and was man enough to do something about it."_

_Tatsuki continued to ramble on about how she'd beat him up if he hurt her, but Ichigo was still stuck on the liking part. He suddenly found it very hard to breathe upon this new revelation._

I-Inoue likes me?

_A weird, unexplainable bubble of hope began to rise in his stomach, but he forced himself to squish it, bewildered at why he would be hoping she'd like him. Glancing at the clock, he knew she'd be here soon anyways. And then maybe, just maybe, he could get to the bottom of this._

--

With her reaction, it definitely seemed like she _didn't_ like him, at least not the way he was thinking of. And somehow, it sort of hurt on the inside to think that. Shaking his head, he sat back at the table, placing the badge in its previous place. Orihime suddenly felt cold and somehow rejected at his backing off, but she soon remembered that he probably still regretted that kiss from yesterday.

_Oh my... The tears are threatening me with their stings yet again..._

Orihime took her own seat at the table as well, and folded her hands into her lap. She half-wondered if they would be silent all day like this. If they were, she didn't know if she could handle it for so long. Surely, she would snap.

"Inoue, I-"

"Kurosaki-kun, there's-"

Once again, they both started at the same time. Only, different from yesterday, there was no casual, silly smile following their accidental slip-ups. This time, there was silence, aside from the sound of Ichigo's shihakusho moving as he gestured for her to go first. Nodding, Orihime brought her eyes to the table.

"Kurosaki-kun, I wanted to say I'm sorry..." Orihime blurted out, her voice cracking at the word 'sorry'. Suddenly, he became intrigued as to why it was her apologizing.

"Inoue, why-"

"I left for Hueco Mundo, I gave you that drink, I did everything wrong!" Her voice was strained and the tears threatened to spill. She grasped at her "pants" that she still wore, due to originally being in Ichigo's body, and choked back a sob. "If I wasn't so much trouble, you wouldn't be in this mess right now..."

"Inoue, you're not troublesome in the least," he tried to reassure her calmly, his own heart aching at the sight of her sadness. She shook her head frantically and crossed her arms on the table, her head soon following to be placed in them as well.

"And I'm so shamelessly forward for kissing you back like that yesterday when I know you like Kuchiki-san," Orihime ignored his previous statement, her words accompanied with current shame and pain.

"Just wait a damn minute, when did I ever say I like Rukia?" Ichigo questioned, his voice stern and louder as he responded. Orihime remained silent, not quite sure how to answer that. "Trust me Inoue, when I say I've never like her like that. I mean, the thought alone sort of scares me and she's more like family." He shuddered, and then continued to mumble off more words about how he'd definitely never like the small shinigami more than a precious nakama.

Orihime kept her head on the table and did her best to quiet her crying.

Crying... Why was she always crying in front of him? Despite her liking him and all, he made her so vulnerable with just his presence.

A hand generously touched her forearm and she lifted her head up, ignoring the tears causing her lashes to cling together. Her heart quickly fluttered at his kindness and began to wonder why he was being so gentle with her.

"Please stop crying..." He spoke quietly. "I-I know I was an ass yesterday, but your tears..." He closed his mouth and kept his lips tight, preventing himself from frantically letting words pour out of his mouth. Who knows what kind of things he could accidentally slip-up if he didn't! "Damn..." Was the only thing he let slip before scooting over to where she was and lifting his arm, letting his sleeve wipe away stray and falling tears. Orihime hiccupped and inwardly promised to stop crying. Otherwise his sleeve would be soaked by the time she was over!

"I-I'm sorry..." She blurted out again as a force of habit.

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I made you cry."

"N-No, you didn't Kurosaki-kun! I'm just a big crybaby!"

"You're not a crybaby, Inoue. Sensitive, maybe, but not a crybaby..."

She stopped and peered over his sleeve to look up to him, almost jumping back again at his startling closeness. She knew he was close, but not _this close. _With her cheeks burning hot, she tugged lightly at his sleeve, lips pursing together lightly.

"T-Thank you Kurosaki-kun..." She whispered, unsure of whether to let go of his sleeve or not. He didn't seem to mind so much, so she kept her tiny hands on it, fingers lightly tingling from the body heat he was radiating from beneath.

"For what?"

"Everything, I guess..." She looked up at him shyly, face growing warmer and warmer by the minute. "You've been so good about all this, and I'm just a mess." Ichigo's brows furrowed and he was about to respond when she smiled awkwardly and finished her thought. "I bet if I didn't go to Hueco Mundo, we wouldn't be in this troubling predicament."

He sighed, still letting the healer toy with the fabric of his shihakusho. "Inoue, there's nothing we can do about the past," he told her firmly, yet gently at the same time. "We can only focus on the now."

"But-"

"Inoue," he warned. Snapping her mouth shut, she nodded dumbly and wondered if he was mad at her now. Boy, she was just on a roll lately, wasn't she? "Let's just say we're both sorry and leave it at that." Nodding dully, Orihime gaze wandered to the floor, before noticing his body's foot and poked it casually.

"It's really tough..." She commented, tracing a pattern on the edge of his foot. Ichigo couldn't help but shudder at the thought of her doing that same thing, touching his foot, while he was in his own body. "I have to act all tough and angry and have a funny scowl all the time to be like Kurosaki-kun."

_She thinks my scowl is funny? _He couldn't help but smile at the innocence of the thought.

"But to be honest, I'm sort of jealous..." Orihime finally confessed, blowing out a quick breath. Ichigo raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously.

"What reason is there to be jealous?" _My life sucks and is nowhere as good as yours..._ He mentally added.

"To have such a nice and caring family that loves you," the healer smiled at him, fingers twitching a bit as she still held the sleeve of his shihakusho. Deep down, Ichigo immediately knew what she was referring to when she said that. At first, he thought being alone would be a relief, and he wouldn't have an annoying father to wake him up early in the morning. But it wasn't without its perks. Just after the first day, he knew how lonely it was to be alone for so long. How she managed to do it day after day and still smile, he had no clue.

A sudden laugh startled him out of his thinking and she smiled. "Though your dad is really funny! He even told me he would be my father figure." Remembering the elder Kurosaki's words, she felt returning familial warmth.

But upon her saying that, Ichigo immediately recalled the bomb she dropped on him the moment she stepped out the door the previous day.

"How did my dad know??" He cut her off, inwardly wincing at his stupid move. Here she had been pouring her heart out and now he was interrupting her with mundane questions that could definitely wait until later.

"Oh, he said..." Orihime stopped to remember previous statements. A few minutes later, her face fell and she told him what she knew. After telling him about everything she heard from his father, Ichigo brought his hand up to his forehead in irritation.

"Great. Just like that old man to keep such a big secret from me..."

"I'm sure he did it to protect you..."

Ichigo remained silent for a few moments, brooding over the information. He wanted to get up and leave, giving his father a piece of his mind, but he remembered his own words from earlier.

"_There's nothing we can do about the past. We can only focus on the now."_

With a hefty sigh, Ichigo brought his hand down and let the irritation pass. For now. He went to look back at the healer in front of him and she seemed to be tugging at the chain again.

"O-Oi, don't do that," he told her almost exasperatedly. "Remember what I said if it's cut?" Orihime looked towards him, taking in a deep breath through her nose.

"I-It just hurts again..." Orihime quietly spoke, bringing her eyes to the floor, as if ashamed. Frowning, Ichigo lifted the chain up with his hand and looked at it curiously.

"Sorry Inoue, I didn't even think about that... You felt like that yesterday too, right? Maybe we should put you back in my body-"

"N-No!" She blurted out, startling him and causing him to drop the chain. "I-I can handle this. It's better to look like this anyways." _It's not so awkward that way. _She mentally finished.

"If you say so..." Ichigo shrugged, propping his elbow onto his crossed leg and placing his chin in the palm of his hand. For a few minutes, he watched her look at her own soul chain with interest. Eventually a large yawn escaped her and he then raised his head worriedly. "Not get enough sleep?" He asked.

"Oh, um... yes and no?"

"Inoue."

"... I-I might've been up all night?"

He groaned and took her shoulders, soon forcing her to lie down on the plush carpet. "Lie down then. We'll be here all day." Orihime freaked out on the inside.

_B-But how am I to sleep with you right there??_

She tried to get back up, protesting all the way, but he forced her back down, both of his hands on her small shoulders as he hovered above her, his left knee in between her two legs, dangerously close to her upper thighs. Her cheeks flushed at their current position and she wondered if he noticed just how he was situated.

"Stay down and sleep, Inoue. I'll obviously be here when you wake up," he told her, not yet removing his hands from her shoulders. Nodding in embarrassing understanding, her eyes darted back and forth from his eyes to his lips, face growing even warmer. With her heart pounding in her chest, she remembered the positive things of having someone you like. It seemed like as of late she only took in the negative outlooks of it all.

"Y-Yes Kurosaki-kun..." Orihime spoke quietly, watching him release her with a small smile on his face. She blinked a few times before letting her eyes flutter closed for a final time. "Thank you..."

.

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R & R~


	8. Chapter 8

_Lol, this is an... interesting chapter to say the least, lol. But I was so stuck on what to do, but I asked my copper-sis what to do and gave me this great idea! It's so silly and painfully angsty, I love it. XD And well.... Just read, haha. Hopefully not many chapters left of this!

* * *

_

--

Her eyebrows were lightly furrowed as she, in a half-sleep, tried to determine the slowly growing pressure in her chest. It wasn't that something was _on_ it, but rather, something seemed wrong on the inside. Her eyes fluttered open, going to take that first gasp after waking up.

Only she couldn't.

Orihime's eyes snapped open, alarmed and afraid. No matter how much she tried to act out the normal pattern of breathing in and breathing out, no oxygen could be supplied to her lungs. Tears immediately stung at her eyes and she brought one hand up to her neck and the other to the attached chain still nestled between her breasts.

"Eh, Inoue?" Ichigo called out, as if he has been watching her or been around her the entire time. Orihime's back had still been flat against the floor, but she turned her head, whipping it to the side with those still afraid, big gray eyes. She tried to say his name, but no words came out. She was only wording his surname with her lips.

Her back instinctively arched up as if trying to gain air by moving her body upwards. But again, at the lack of oxygen, her body fell back to the floor, startling chokes coming from her throat, somewhat muffled by the hand she kept there. Closing her eyes tight, she started to pull at the chain in pain, absolutely knowing that the horrid thing was the cause for her current predicament.

Ichigo was immediately by her side, confused and worried as hell as to what was going on with his friend. He tried to put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly, but her body jerked unintentionally forward again, as if rejecting his offering of help.

For some reason, he was torn for a short moment whether to follow her body language and leave her alone, or look at her clearly pained face and eyes begging for help. But his own eyes immediately drifted to her chest, more importantly, the chain there. With his heart plummeting down, he knew it was _his_ fault for her problem. He had stupidly given her the idea that it was okay to be out of the physical body for a long time! He hadn't thought about the differences between humans and shinigami.

Pulling her body off the floor and into his arms, he felt even guiltier as the only thing on his mind was how perfect her body fit in his arms. She looked up to him, eyes starting to flutter closed due to her lack of air. She had been blinking a lot now, but the tears rolling down her cheeks and mouthing of his name had given him enough reason to help.

"F-Fuck, Inoue, breathe!" He yelled out, knowing very well it wouldn't help. Her pained eyes only closed a bit more in response and she silently spoke, 'I can't'. Her one hand reached out to his shinigami robes and she began to tug at it lightly, eyes pleading for help. He began to shake, not knowing of what to do. Her other hand tugged at the chain again, only much harder this time, and Ichigo could've sworn he saw a bit of a circle start to show.

He grabbed at her hand hard, faintly noticing just how small it was in his own. His stern eyes commanded her not to pull at it. Swallowing thickly, Ichigo watched her mouth his name one last time before her eyes fluttered closed for a longer time. Her previous jerking and thrashing around started to slow. Absolutely frozen, the shinigami held her even closer, feeling her hand growing limper in his palm.

"I-Inoue!" He stuttered, mind quickly racing through any decent and actually useful information his dad might've given him before. She might've been in her soul form, but it was medical attention she still needed.

One glance at her slowly paling lips and Ichigo's face grew incredibly warmer. _Dammit, this isn't the time to be acting like an idiot! _With a smooth, swift motion, the substitute shinigami connected his lips with hers, heart dropping yet again at the startling temperature – cold. A shudder went through his body, but he exhaled shakily, forcing air into her lungs. He pulled her even closer, causing her body to be firm against his own.

Luckily for him, her eyes fluttered back open and her grasp on his robes grew even tighter. Her body wriggled around, subtly moving against his. Ichigo forced the heat to stay away from his face as he noticed the slight friction between the two, and he pulled away before going back towards her, 'giving' her the air her body desperately needed.

Orihime pushed away from him, eyes still brimming with unshed tears. She tumbled out of his arms unceremoniously and a harsh cough escaped her lips. Her slim arms attempted to force her body upwards, only wanting to get towards their physical bodies, both leaning against each other on the wall. She extended a hand outwards and to the sight, the thing that would take away all her pain. Only, instead she collapsed back onto the floor, another sob escaping her.

"Ku-Kuro..." She whispered, bringing a fist to her mouth to stifle her crying. "P-Please..." her soft voice begged. "H-Help..." More tears fell onto the plush carpet, her cheek squished from the dead weight she was currently lugging around.

It didn't take a second for the boy to scoop her back into his arms and hold her close yet again; somewhat grateful she wasn't getting colder like before. He had indeed watched her reach for their bodies, immediately making him feel even more horrible. He could've just put her back in his body and she'd be fine. At least he hoped that was the case.

He stood up quickly, half-heartedly noticing how light she was, regardless of being just her soul, and took hearty strides towards the two bodies. Once next to his own again, he ground his teeth together, doing his best not to pull her into a tighter hug while her tiny hands tugged at his robes for help.

"Sorry, Inoue..." He apologized, not knowing what exactly he was saying sorry for. Well, there were many things he could be apologizing for, but where to start he didn't know.

With a quick motion, Ichigo put her soul back into his body, the sound of a loud gasp being the first thing he heard. His previously unanimated body was moving again, now coughing and gasping for air. "Orihime's" hands shook as she clenched them into a fist, then relaxing and over and over again like a forever repeating pattern. Ichigo watched her from under his orange locks, brown eyes burning with nothing but apologies and worry.

Cautiously, she looked up to him with fear in her eyes, as if he'd yell at her. "I-I'm... K-Kurosaki-kun, I-I'm so sorry..." She immediately apologized herself, only making Ichigo feel worse. Her lips quivered (which subconsciously, Ichigo thought was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen "himself" do) and tears threatened to spill again. Not wanting to make "Ichigo" look like a fool in front of, well, himself, Orihime brought her legs up and rested her arms across the knees, burying her head away from everything.

_Kurosaki-kun doesn't cry, Kurosaki-kun doesn't cry, Kurosaki-kun doesn't-_

A choked sob escaped her anyways.

"Inoue..." Ichigo kept his voice quiet, afraid of his own voice cracking as well. He wanted to reach out a hand to comfort her and obviously apologize over and over again for being so stupid, but he knew both ideas would be bad. She'd probably be more upset, for one, but Orihime would find a way to keep the blame on her own shoulders anyways.

The two remained quiet for a while, the shinigami not knowing what to do or say. Kneading the back of his neck nervously, he remembered he'd have to say how he was sorry for 'kissing' her again. With the heat returning to his cheeks, he wanted to say it was CPR of some sorts, but it was still mouth-to-mouth contact nonetheless.

Ichigo sighed and eventually brought a hand to "her" head, patting the bright orange hair softly. He definitely found it silly to look like he'd been petting his own hair, but he could imagine her distraught expression and big gray eyes with unshed tears, looking up to him with confusion.

"K-Kurosaki-kun..." Orihime spoke quietly, clearing her throat. "Her" hand clenched tightly at the fabric of her shirt and she sniffled again, looking straight at the boy she loved. Her heart reveled in the thought that he wasn't mad at her for any reason, considering how he actually appeared to be trying to comfort her. A tired smile tugged at her lips, and just before she blinked slowly, the shinigami could've sworn he saw "her" eyes flash a gray color before returning to the normal amber brown color. He wanted to smile as well, but feeling like his heart was in many pieces prevented him from doing so. Instead, he just scowled deeper.

With another sniff, Orihime brought her not-so-shaking arms to the floor, fingers threading through the soft fabric of the carpet. For some reason unknown to Ichigo, the healer brought her gaze to the opposite direction, appearing to not being looking at anything, really.

"I... I should go, ne?" She half wondered, half asked. The fingers on the carpet shifted from lying to gripping, a small shudder making its way through her body. "I-I think I've been here too long..." Although, truth be told, she had indeed wanted to stay longer, merely because this was her apartment.

Ichigo nodded dumbly, still unsure of what to say. If she wanted to go, he wasn't going to be more of a burden and keep her here.

"R-Right... Sure..." He responded hesitantly, his eyes never leaving her as she stood up shakily and reached for her bag by the table. Every motion, every word that came from her seemed to be doubtful, scared, and nervous. Ichigo clenched his own hand into a fist as he watched her leave just as quietly as she had entered hours previously.

Falling back onto the floor again, his heart hammered erratically in his chest. The term for this pain, this aching beating his heart was giving him, was something that escaped him at the moment. Closing his eyes, he pounded his fist into the carpet lightly; he hated how he was left in the same predicament exactly 24 hours prior.

With a heavy sigh, Ichigo groaned in frustration.

_I wonder if I can ever do anything right..._

--

"Aaaah, looks like Kurosaki-san learned an important lesson today."

"The one that almost killed Inoue? Yes, great plan Kisuke."

"No, no, not exactly that one... I mean, yes, it's bad to be out of your body in general if you're not a shinigami, but that's not the one I was referring to."

"Quit beating around the bush."

"..."

"Come on; spit it out before I hit you."

"Let's just say Kurosaki-san's finally learning the lessons of the heart. As corny as that may sound, it's true he's learning more about Inoue-san."

"Please don't tell me that was your reasoning for slipping something into their drinks..."

"... Maybe..."

"Kisuke!! Don't play matchmaker, you idiot!"

"Ow! You didn't have to hit me!"

"... You think Ichigo will finally understand Kisuke? That Inoue is more important to him that he realizes?"

Waving his fan in front of his face, the shopkeeper smiled.

"Definitely."

--

Orihime let her weight fall onto the bed, a soft groan escaping her as she did so. As she let her eyes closed, her mind replayed the afternoon in her head, smiling at the enjoyable moments and frowning at the not –so enjoyable ones. She let the smile creep up at the thought of him being so gentle with her, which was something she thought he'd never do.

And to find out he didn't like Rukia! The frown replaced the grin. She was happy to find that out, but Kuchiki-san was a great person. Part of Orihime felt that Ichigo _should_ like her just because of her amazing qualities.

Rolling onto her back and closer to the window, Orihime sighed, a hand moving from her side to "her" chest. _His hands are so big..._ She noticed as the palms and digits lay flat on the built chest. Lifting her hand up a bit, she let her fingers drift over the shirt, tracing the lines in which his muscles were defined. Her cheeks grew hotter as she could feel his heartbeat from underneath the skin and tissues, beating hard and fast within the chest cavity.

_If only his heart would beat like this for me, as mine does for him..._ Orihime sighed again, eventually letting her hand rest on "her" abdomen. As her eyes fluttered closed, she hoped that something good would come from all this. They'd been through so much already, she wondered if it would be too much to ask for a little happiness.

--

He knew it was rude to stare, but it wasn't like she was here anyways.

Ichigo was sitting at the table again, chin in his right hand as he looked Inoue's body. With no one to animate her limbs and body, she looked as if she was merely sleeping. Eyelids covering her brilliant gray eyes, cheeks lightly dusted with the usual shade of pink, and her lightly pursed lips. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, curling lightly at the ends, and her usual school uniform clung tightly to her ample bosom, giving Ichigo a bit of a red face himself.

He sighed, opposite hand curling into a fist. _Damn, she's so... pretty..._ He finally confessed in his mind, partially wishing he'd have the guts to say it out loud. He'd defeated Aizen for heaven's sake and he couldn't even tell a girl she looked good?

Cautiously, he moved closer to her body, face heating up further at a gradual pace, yelling at himself on the inside for getting so close like this. He was right in front of her 'sleeping' form when a smile tugged at his lips. He stopped for a moment, noticing her legs were bent in an awkward and probably uncomfortable position. Taking a hold of her knees, he groaned at the softness of her skin. He was getting upset with himself, as he was practically feeling her up when she didn't know it.

_I-It's to help her_, he told himself, weaving a false lie to make himself feel just a bit better. Being careful of how he was moving her legs, he looked away, although tempted to look at her, due to the possibility of her skirt flying up being plenty there. He wasn't a pervert, he told himself, but this stupid thoughts running through his mind would surely be the death of him.

After moving the legs to a less uncomfortable position, Ichigo, somehow, sat between her legs, unable to stop staring at her slender form. _Dammit... _Her tiny hands fell into her lap, while her head rolled to the side, face still sporting an angelic expression. Swallowing thickly and losing all logic and good sense he had left, Ichigo shifted himself closer, lessening the gap between her body and his soul.

As he neared her, he vaguely wondered what she'd think if he found out he did such a thing. Even to himself he wondered why he was doing this. But that wasn't the only question hammering itself into his brain. Why did his heart beat so fast with her around? Did Inoue really like him more than a friend? And the one that burdened him the most, why did he feel like he wanted it to be true, that she liked him? Those bubbles of hope rose in his chest again, only causing his heart to beat faster.

Keeping one hand on the floor to prevent himself from falling, he moved the other one to her cheek, face slightly falling at its chilliness. His thumb moved a bit against her flesh as his breath lightly tickled her face. It was only a moment later when he connected his lips to "hers". How he could feel so high, like he was flying when just kissing her like this, he'd never know. He didn't mind it in the least, but he was usually a man who preferred a title or name for these types of feelings.

"Inoue..." He spoke low to no one before pulling away, eyes half-lidded and dark. He moved in again, only giving her body a little kiss to her cheek, temple, and forehead. His heart only hammered harder in his chest as he groaned at the feelings coursing through his body. Pulling away while feeling even guiltier for doing such a thing, Ichigo told himself he didn't regret it. To feel so good about something couldn't possibly be bad.

While keeping his hand on her cheek for a while longer, he could finally say the words he found he was stuck with earlier.

"I'm sorry, Inoue... I'm such an idiot..." Nodding to himself to further assure he was doing it right, he exhaled shakily. "Stupid and an idiot..." Pulling away completely, the shinigami moved back to the table and watched her motionless body for just a while longer. All the while, he attempted to answer the questions in his brain, occasionally coming up with a useless answer. Closing his eyes in frustration, Ichigo couldn't tell if he was troubled by thinking about her so much, or if he actually really liked it.

Only one more glance at the healer immediately answered it for him.

He really liked it.

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R & R~


	9. Chapter 9

_WAAAH, I never thought I'd finish this so soon!! Really, I didn't think I'd end EAY this chapter, but... Oh well!! Now I can focus on my other stories now! (Maybe finish up my FMA fic or Heartbeat...) I'm definitely not working on my demon fic until I finish a few other fics, so yeah... Probably expect more chapters from those for a while? Again, just so I can get them finished up._

_I hope this ending it satisfactory for you! Sorry it sucks at the same time though. XD Enjoy!_

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--

"It's nice to see you've_ finally_ taken pity on the two, Kisuke."

"Aha, what a nice comment from you, Yoruichi-san!"

"However, what I don't approve of is how you've changed them back. Poor Inoue is going to get the scare of her lifetime."

"Are you saying I shouldn't have switched them while they were still at each other's houses?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. You could've switched them when they were alone."

"But, Yoruichi-san, my dear cat, where's the fun in that?"

--

A gasp escaped Orihime's lips as she threw herself upwards from the bed, eyes wide with fright. "Don't let the aliens take him!!" She yelled out into the room, her voice high with worry. When she noticed she was no longer in a dream, she pouted lightly, jaw going slightly slack. "Eh? I was dreaming?" She mumbled to herself, pulling her hands down from their extended reach, as she had thrown them up in the air when she awoke.

Sighing and bringing her small hands to her eyes, she began to rub at them, since she was still tired. "Ahh, I wonder what today will be like..." She mumbled to herself before stopping abruptly. Her voice appeared to be much higher than normal and her hands didn't feel calloused like that of Kurosaki-kun's. Pulling them away to look at them decently, Orihime saw small, and very familiar hands replaced the larger ones of the boy's. Her heart skipped a beat at the familiar scene and took her hands to reach at her hair, finding her long, auburn locks instead of his short, messy auburn ones.

A big, but confused smile found its way onto her face and she goofily went to look at her chest, finding the familiar thing only girls had. Tears stung at her eyes while finding that she indeed had breasts again. Her lips trembled with happiness as she brushed away the offending tears.

_I can't wait to tell Kurosaki-kun about this!!_ She thought excitedly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. But upon taking in her surroundings again, she realized the second switch wasn't quite the same as the first. Instead of finding herself in her apartment, she was still in Kurosaki-kun's room, and quite clad in the makeshift pajamas she had chosen for his body the previous night. A big, baggy gray-blue shirt barely hung on her on her small shoulders and the black boxers of his with the same colored bunnies had trouble staying on her hips. It had been one thing to feel what it was like in his clothes when in his body, but definitely another when she was in her own. With burning cheeks, she forced to keep the slipping sleeve on her shoulder as she gasped.

"W-What do I do??" She whispered quickly to herself, blushing hard at the thought of herself being in his room and in his clothes. _N-No, Orihime! Get yourself together! You survived Hueco Mundo, you can survive this!_ As she tripped over her now too big socks, Orihime made her way out the door of his room and began to sneakily work her way back downstairs. It took a lot of quietness on her end and moments of hesitation, but she eventually managed to get towards the front door.

As of late, it had been habit to slip on his shoes before she left, but considering they were now many sizes larger than her normal, she groaned at the thought of running to her apartment in socks only. Scratch that, running to her apartment on a Saturday while in a boy's t-shirt and boxers. Her face became a whole new shade of red at the thought of just where these bunny boxers had been before, but it definitely wasn't as bad as the things she had to see during her bathroom adventures. _R-Right... I still need to apologize for that._ She mentally noted.

Throwing open the door and slamming it behind her, Orihime began her run back to her flat, all while silently praying he wouldn't freak out at her appearance.

--

Ichigo was as tired as hell while he lay on the soft flooring of his friend's apartment. Without the slightest bit of sleep, he desperately wished he could just nap for a little bit. But as soon as his eyes would close, Orihime's face would show and his heart would twist painfully, but pleasantly at the same time. The feeling baffled him, but he still didn't mind it in the least.

One would think he could sleep if that was only the case, but it was actually the rest of the night that kept him up. Once he'd think back about her apparent feelings for him, he started to wonder what he thought of her. So for hours on end, he would ask himself question after question relating back to the incredibly kind healer. What did she mean to him? Why was it he was so unable to _not_ rescue her from Hueco Mundo? Was there a term for the driving force that made him want to protect her until his dying breath?

Digging his fingers into his eyes, he groaned loudly as his stomach did that weird flippy thing it did when thinking about her. He wanted a name for the stupid reason his heart would stop and flip too.

Loud, hard knocks startled him and caused him to snap his form up from the floor and look at the door incredulously. Who in the world would be knocking so fervently at her apartment door so early in the morning?

Hoisting his sleep-deprived body from the floor, Ichigo stood up with a groan, his back cracking from his previously unmoved position. As he shuffled his covered feet towards the door, his mind starting darting back to that adorable little redhead that previously wormed into his brain.

_If it's a stupid solicitor, I'm going to kill them for disturbing me... _He thought as he peered through the peek hole.

But it wasn't anybody trying to sell him, or rather, "her" items, but the healer herself still pounding away at the door with incredibly flushed cheeks. A hasty swear escaped his lips and he unlocked the doors and turned the handle, allowing Orihime to rush in a matter of moments. Her eyes were wide with shame, fear, and embarrassment as her chest heaved up and down. Apparently she had been running quite fast.

"Inoue, what's wrong?" He asked her, his hands hovering over her tiny shoulders, but stopped short as he noticed her overly large shirt slipped down and exposed soft, pale skin. She squeaked and pulled it back up, flushing harder. He couldn't help but turn red himself, but noticed she wasn't in his body like before, nor did she have a soul chain attached to her chest. _Did he...??_ Snapping his head back, Ichigo found his own body now leaning up against the wall instead of her own, where it _should_ have been. It was faint, but the Ryoka boy could feel the familiar reiatsu that belonged to Urahara Kisuke.

Bringing his eyes back to the fretting healer, his mind wandered for ways to calm her down, along with reasons why they could switch again. But his mind stopped short upon noticing further what exactly she was wearing. He had recognized the gray-blue shirt, as he had worn it himself before, but the boxers she had must have chosen startled him the most.

"W-Why the one with the bunnies??" He yelled, pointing at the shorts, offended. Orihime jumped back in surprise and glanced down at what he was pointing at, a whole new shade of red covering her face.

"T-They were cute!" She blurted out, pulling down the boxers a bit further to cover more of her exposed thighs. Her actions only caused her shirt to fall over her shoulders all over again. His eye twitched and he wanted to groan. _C-Cute?? No! That's the least of my problems... If she's been changing my boxers, that mean she might've seen my... Shit._

Although he tried to reassure himself she probably didn't, as she was respectful like that, he was still pretty sure she had. But he wouldn't question it, as it would probably cause infinite embarrassment for them both.

He attempted to clear his throat and only managed squeaking at first before talking. The sudden high pitch made him want to punch himself.

"S-Still..." He didn't freaking stutter. "Rukia bought me those god-awful things as a joke... There was a reason I had them shoved towards the back..." The thought of her rummaging around his underwear drawer only made his brain break further. Orihime glanced up to him, surprised. _Kuchiki-san bought Kurosaki-kun underwear? ... I-I wonder if I could do the same thing..._ Was the weird thought that entered her head. _Maybe I will for his birthday!_

As she constantly fiddled with the hems of his clothes, Ichigo could swear his pants had gotten slightly tighter and his nose attempted to bleed. The sight of her perfect frame in _his_ clothes, with the tired look like she'd just gotten out of bed tempted him beyond belief. He even had half a mind to take her to her nearby bedroom and have his way with her right there... That is, he would if he knew what to do.

"E-Er, did you want to change, Inoue?" Ichigo managed to speak out eventually, kneading his tense muscles in his neck. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable with her in his attire, rather, he found it incredibly hot, but he kept catching himself staring at her, and surely she'd notice his gazes soon. She only nodded quickly in response and soon bolted out of the room, back into her own bedroom to retrieve new clothes.

Finding relief that she was temporarily gone, Ichigo let his body collapse against the nearby wall, heart racing. She had only been here 5 minutes and still managed to snag his undivided attention. A moment later, he saw her tiny form scurry back to the bathroom, where the water appeared to be running once she got in _... Great... Like that mental image of her taking a shower really helps..._

As he glanced back to the wall with his body, he couldn't help but feel weird about being switched back. Just when he had gotten the hang of being in hers, he goes back to normal. Well, besides the whole breasts thing. Shuddering, he knew he'd never be able to get used to _that_.

Sighing, Ichigo sauntered back to his own body, still oddly clad in his school uniform, considering Orihime had been in his own clothes. Part of him was curious as to why, but he really didn't want to try to comprehend Urahara's reasoning. As he slipped his soul back into his body, it felt a lot weirder to be back to normal. Very weird... Things were too different, not just the physical changes. His feelings were a lot different than the first day they had switched.

Hearing the water turn off, Ichigo stood his body up from its previously sitting position and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. What would they do now? They were back to normal, so things should've gone back to the way they were... Shouldn't they? Even though part of him didn't want things to change? It wasn't like he particularly wanted to forget those kisses.

He almost didn't notice her small, slightly trembling form as she entered back into the room, clad in a light yellow sundress that ended at about her knees, with a neckline that accentuated her bust. Her hair was pulled back into a side ponytail with her always present hairpins at their sides. Clearly, based on her appearance, she was very glad to look like a girl again.

"U-Um... Here are your clothes, Kurosaki-kun..." She mumbled, handing him the shirt, boxers, and the large pair of socks. "Though I really think I should wash them before, since I wasn't-" He cut her off with an unusual smile, one she wasn't familiar with. It was soft and gentle, but at the same time, appeared as if hurt.

"Its fine, Inoue," Ichigo told her reassuringly, his mind starting to wander towards the thoughts of her and him not being so close after this. He wouldn't have given it much thought a week ago, but now it was the stupid idea that plagued his mind and made his heart ache oddly. "Though I suppose I should let you be alone. You probably haven't had any peace and quiet for a while." He responded nonchalantly, turning to face the door with his hands in his pockets. Orihime reached her hand out to him, opening her mouth to speak, but she stopped herself. What in the world would she say? She knew he looked somewhat hurt for some reason, but without any additional knowledge, she couldn't help the boy.

But as he turned around a final time, there was a glimpse of something familiar in his eyes. It was something she knew she saw every day, but couldn't put her finger on it. As her brows drooped, she cocked her head to the side.

"See you later, Inoue," Ichigo mumbled softly, hand grasping the doorknob and turning it open, allowing him to be out the door in moments. With his bright orange head out of sight, Orihime's heart slowed down from its previous frantic pace as she brought a hand to her chest to still her ragged breathing. Even saying goodbye still managed to make her swoon on the inside.

But as she pursed her lips, her mind raced for that _thing_ in his eyes she thought was familiar. She hadn't seen it from him before, so she was so confused as to what it was now. Although, as soon as Orihime got it, her heart rate jumped right back up again, her cheeks growing dangerously hot.

The look in his eyes was the same one she knew she gave him, the exact same when she looked into the mirror and thought of him.

Running her tongue over her lips, she brought her small hand to hold her burning cheek.

Maybe... she was special to him.

At least, she desperately hoped so.

--

The days following the second switch had been very uncomfortable for him. Sad, even. As Ichigo sat on the roof of the school during lunch, he had felt a groan reverberate through his body as he sighed. The sandwich in his hand lay there forgotten, as he felt very sick with every thought of being away from his friend. It wasn't just that he didn't get the chance to see Orihime, but now she seemed to blatantly avoid him.

His amber brown eyes drifted through the black bars of the fence and onto the school grounds, glancing at the familiar auburn hair that belonged only to Inoue Orihime. He wanted to smile at seeing her, but the weird pain in his chest made it hard to get motivated to grin.

"Ichigo, why isn't Inoue talking to you now?" Rukia asked as she shoved her straw into her juice box. She scowled lightly, prepared to refute any and all excuses he'd come up with. "You two seemed so inseparable a few days ago." Ichigo shrugged and kept his eyes on the girl down below.

"Beats me... I want to know the answer to that same question," he scoffed, throwing his sandwich to Keigo, whom immediately praised him for being a good friend. The substitute would've eaten it, hadn't he been so nauseous feeling. Rukia raised an eyebrow and pointed a firm finger towards him, her eyes showing threats of pain.

"Well, you need to go talk to her! If you rejected her, I'm going to pummel you! I already collected my betting money from Matsumoto-san," Rukia growled, bringing her tiny hands into a hard fist. Ichigo had remained unfazed at first, only growing hot at the thought of Orihime liking him more than a friend. But as soon he realized her last statement, he snapped his head towards the small shinigami.

"You had bets!?"

"We all did..." Ishida coughed, feeling somewhat ashamed. "All with good intentions, of course." Ichigo brought his despaired eyes to his Mexican friend, hoping deep in his heart he didn't bet about the two redheads. Quietly, Chad instead brought his attention to a bird that had just landed near his spot. Clearly he'd rather affiliate himself with a cute bird than his irritated friend.

Bringing a hand to his eyes, Ichigo groaned and folded his knees across. As if things couldn't be any worse. But what was to be expected? It was a common fact whenever one thing seemed to go right, a whole slew of wrong made its way into his life.

Sighing again, Ichigo promised to himself he'd talk to her, walk her home perhaps. To do _something_ to clear the air between him and Orihime and get those stupid people he calls friends off his back and stop betting. Surely all this stress for a teen was not healthy.

--

As a soft sigh made its way from her lips, Orihime closed her shoe locker with her brows furrowed. She didn't want to purposely avoid him, and in all honesty, it hurt her more to be away. But as soon as he left her apartment after the switch, it was as if all her bottled up feelings from Hueco Mundo and the following event caused her to break down. It wasn't even a minute he was gone when the healer discovered hot tears on her cheeks; crying when she didn't even know she was doing it.

Bringing up a small hand to rub at her tired eyes, Orihime sighed again, disregarding Tatsuki's advice to stop sighing so much. She told her she'd look like an old woman if she was so distraught.

But Orihime couldn't help it as she sighed. She found it to be a way to relieve just a smidgen of stress, some of the weight on her shoulders going away with the simple actions. As she turned around to head out the school doors, she kept her eyes closed, letting that constant feeling of loneliness unfortunately flood back.

A large hand caught at her wrist, startling her out of her thinking and snapping her eyes open. She faced the perpetrator, eyes wide with confusion. Upon seeing it was her strawberry crush, Kurosaki-kun, a whole new level of heat flooded her cheeks.

"K-Kurosaki-kun..." She breathed, eyes blinking slowly. "Is something the matter?" Orihime watched him open his mouth to say something, only to have them close again and return to a scowl. The hand he kept on her elbow shifted downwards to her small hand and he interlaced their fingers together before beginning to tow her away. A squeak poured from her lips and she almost tripped at his actions of wanting her to walk with him. She could feel the many eyes on the two as he dragged her along, which certainly didn't help her already burning cheeks.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She cried, embarrassed. "W-What are you doing?" Her brows furrowed together as she wished she could see the expression on his face, or suddenly have the power to read his mind. Instead, she could only look at his back, slightly in awe at how wide his shoulders were. That was certainly something she didn't notice when in his body days before.

With Ichigo, his eyes narrowed as he grinded his teeth together, forcing his own blush back. _Something I should have done a long time ago..._ He thought as the two rounded the corner of the school entrance, still ignoring the stares of other students.

"I'm walking you home," he told her gruffly, his grasp on her hand growing a bit tighter.

"E-Eh?? N-No, Kurosaki-kun, it's really quite alright! I can get home on my own," she tried to assure him. Something about _him_ walking her home seemed a lot different than them just walking together back to her place, again, just days before. Maybe it was because things were back to normal, and she only had to worry about being a girl. He stopped abruptly and she accidentally collided into his back, another squeak of surprise coming from her. Bringing her opposite hand up to her nose and rubbing it sorely, Orihime's brows furrowed.

"We need to talk," he replied, turning to face her with a stern look on his face. Her eyes grew wide at his words.

"Are you... mad at me?" She asked nervously, fingers subconsciously twitching against his own. His hand held hers tighter again, making the healer immediately think that was the case. Scowling, he shook his head.

"No, I'm not... But I haven't exactly been happy with how you've been avoiding me lately," he spoke slowly, not wanting all his words to come out in an angry rage. He wasn't mad at her, per se, but he feared she didn't want to be friends anymore. Orihime frowned as well and brought her eyes to the ground, her foot lightly tapping a nearby pebble.

"I... I didn't think you'd want to be around me anymore..." She confessed, her voice shaky. She tried to tug her hand away from his, feeling guilt and shame immediately flood her body. His hand only held onto hers tighter, not allowing her to pull away. With bright red cheeks, she noted he was determined to keep her there.

"What in the world would make you think that idea??" He startled her with his suddenly risen voice. She snapped her head back upwards and her cheeks burned hotter with disgrace. Suddenly she felt a lot worse than she did moments ago.

"I... B-But Kurosaki-kun, you got hurt so much in Hueco Mundo, and all because I went there in the first place," she sniffled, tears starting to sting at her eyes again. Those awful things kept reappearing so often lately! "And then there was the drink from that party... I-I guess I'm just a bundle of trouble, aren't I?" Bringing up her tear-filled eyes to meet with his, the Ryoka boy suddenly felt a lot guiltier himself for making her cry again. His brows knit tightly together and he brought his free hand to grasp her chin between his thumb and fingers. Her lips pursed in confusion and his actions only seemed to make her sadder.

"I _told_ you, Inoue. You're not troublesome..."

"B-But-" She stuttered, sobbing softly now. She would've continued to protest if he hadn't met her lips in a chaste kiss. Ichigo grew irritated with himself and his inability to speak what he wanted to say. But instead, he'd always let his actions lead him, and he'd end up in situations like this. As he moved his lips against hers, Ichigo released her hand in order to hold her face, feeling nothing but her soft skin under his fingertips. Orihime felt that she didn't know what to do, so she rested her hands on his chest, bunching up the fabric in her small fingers. As he pulled away, he somehow managed to conjure a small, sheepish smile. Only, it immediately faded when she frowned again and tears rushed out faster.

"W-Why?" She questioned, lips still tingling from the kiss. He raised an eyebrow and loosened his grip on her fragile face.

"Why what?"

"You keep kissing me..." She mumbled, face burning from saying the word. "I-I'm so confused..." A weight lifted off his shoulders at her words, because he had been feeling the _exact_ same for the last three days. Blowing out a sigh, Ichigo hung his head, but kept his amber brown eyes on her own gray orbs.

"That makes two of us..." He grumbled, finally releasing her from his hold. Oddly, Orihime felt cold and somehow rejected. As he backed away, his eyes never left hers until he eventually turned back around and took a step forward. He wasn't sure if he should continue walking, or they should talk. If he walked, he'd be walking away from the situation and his feelings, and he was _not_ one to run away. Groaning, he shoved his hands into his gray pants pockets.

"Eh?" Orihime stuttered again as she neatly folded her hands in front of her, trying to hide the light shaking of her palms and digits.

"Inoue," he cut her off, bringing his tan hand to his neck, kneading the muscles. Orihime could immediately tell he had been nervous about something, knowing that he did that when feeling bad about something or embarrassed. "Why is it that I hope you like me...? More than a friend, I mean..."

Her heart about jumped out at the question and her eyes grew wide. Had he possibly began to feel something similar to what she constantly felt for him?

"Kurosaki-kun, what are you-"

"Ichigo. You can call me Ichigo..." He cut her off yet another time. With blaring hot cheeks, she nodded dumbly.

"... I-Ichigo... kun..." she tested his name, noticing that it seemed to roll off her tongue a lot better than his surname. "How do you feel...?" She asked awkwardly, hoping her phrasing wouldn't seem too off. He turned around, brows together tight in confusion. But something in his eyes showed that he understood what she was talking about.

"I can't stand being away from you. It hurts too damn much," he told her bluntly, tan cheeks appearing slightly pink as well. "But when you're around... It's like... I'm the happiest I've ever been." He was kneading his neck again as he brought his eyes to the ground, shoe scuffing the pavement. "I'm not going to lie, it's the most freaky and weird feeling I've ever had, with all this heart beating fast and that stupid stuttering crap..." He paused for a moment, a gentle breeze temporarily filling the silence. "But I don't seem to mind it all that much..."

Hoping that she wouldn't go into cardiac arrest, Orihime forced a shaky smile with tear filled eyes. If indeed he was truly feeling the same she always did, she could definitely say she was the happiest girl in the world.

As she folded her hands together behind her back, the healer took slow, smooth steps towards his lean figure, her face feeling surprisingly cooler than before.

"... you," She spoke quietly, another gust of wind cutting off her first part. As he dumbly watched her beautiful auburn hair flow with the air, he cocked his head to the side, bringing up a hand to shield his eyes.

"Sorry, Inoue, I didn't catch that," he apologized, growing slightly alarmed at the quickly closing distance. Orihime darted her tongue to wet at her lips before placing her small hands on his large shoulders, standing on the tips of her toes to be at his level. Boldly, she connected his lips with his, giving him his first ever kiss from her. It didn't last long, but it was still the most forward thing she'd ever done regarding him.

As she pulled away, still keeping her hands on his shoulders, Orihime didn't seem to mind the light tingling of his body heat through his school shirt. The shinigami stared stupidly at her, brain still scattered from her bold, and incredible attractive action.

"I love you, Ichigo-kun..."

_Love..._ It was as if it all clicked together for him. _That_ was the name for the emotion plaguing his heart and mind for days on end. Giving her another sheepish smile, albeit awkwardly, he rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes for a short moment.

"I think I love you too, Inoue."

"Orihime..." She told him, turning pink again. "It's Orihime..." Still smiling, he nodded as he took her hand in his again. "But... um..." She stopped, growing very embarrassed again. "C-Can you say it again?" His more innocent smile turned into a more wolfish grin as his breath fanned over her lips.

"I love you, Orihime."

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Review plz~


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